The Pack
by BataFuraiEvans
Summary: AU Post season one. Stiles gets in a car crash, the pack's their for him. After that, who knows where this crazy story will go. I'm not quite sure where this is going, so hold onto your hat, this is gonna be a crazy ADHD ride!
1. Just Like His Mother

**AU post-season one. That is all you need to know.**

* * *

Stiles awoke from yet another Peter filled nightmare. He hadn't slept well since that night a month ago. The nightmares always came. This was worse than when his mother had died.

Scott should have known something was wrong. He normally would have. But with Lydia and Jackson now wolves, and him still dating Allison, he hardly had time for school.

Derek was busy working out a peace agreement with the Argents and training the two new werewolves. Even though he had declared Stiles pack, Stiles didn't feel comfortable talking to him.

Lydia was just starting to talk to him. He didn't want to appear weak in front of her.

Jackson and Stiles were only now cordial with each other, years of animosity not yet behind them.

Allison had new liaison-y duties to attend to (reporting in between the pack and her family), along with helping train the pack, and spending time with Scott.

But now here Stiles was, hardly sleeping, rarely eating, and not coping at all with what he had to do. He had assisted in murder. Yes, he tried to rationalize it as necessary to kill Peter Hale. But a part of him was sickened by the death. He may have been scared to death of the man…monster, and yes to save his, everyone he loved, and several he hated lives, it was necessary, but it didn't make it feel right. The last thing his mother had told him was that human life is sacred, and never should it be his choice to end another's.

He laid in bed for hours, feeling guilty. Then his alarm went off. He got up and got ready for school. He got into his jeep and started driving to school.

Unknown to Stiles, each of his friends were waiting for Stiles to speak up. They all knew something was wrong, but they wanted to let Stiles come to them first, not try to force him to talk. It didn't help that Stiles was very good at pretending nothing was wrong. His friends (even Jackson) were worried about him.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski had had a late shift that night. He had only gotten in at 4 am. So he was slightly drowsy when he got a call at 7:30. He answered, "Stilinski here." One of his deputies said at the other end, "Your son has been in a car accident. He is currently in route to the hospital."

The sheriff jumped out of bed and asked, terrified of the answer, "How bad?"

The deputy responded, "The car was wrapped around a tree off the road. It looks like he fell asleep while driving."

The sheriff rushed to get dressed and drove over to the hospital. He was thankful that Mrs McCall, a long-time friend of his and the mother of his son's best friend, was on duty that morning. Normally, she was one of the most professional nurses ever. Today, she dropped that and ran over to the Sheriff and gave him a hug.

He asked, "Any news?"

She responded hesitantly, "He in surgery being stabilized."

He waited for more information. Secretly, so was Mrs McCall. The school was informed of the accident. In less than an hour, Scott, Lydia, Allison, and Jackson were there. Normally, he would have scolded them for skipping. Today, he knew they were just as worried as he was. To take his mind off of the stress, he fell back on police instincts.

He stated, "Jackson, I was under the impression you and Stiles were more likely to kill each other than anything else."

Scott chuckled. Jackson said nervously, "We buried the hatchet a couple weeks ago."

The sheriff said, "Lydia, you haven't given Stiles the time of day since 3rd grade. When did that change?"

Lydia said, in her almost arrogant voice, "He sat by me when I was injured for a week. This is me repaying my debt."

The sheriff could see in her eyes she was actually concerned, but naturally didn't want to show it.

"And you must be Chris's daughter, Allison," the sheriff continued. "My son frequently sounds almost jealous of you."

Scott looked typically confused while Jackson and Lydia snickered. Allison said, "Oh yes, I can imagine him being quite jealous of me stealing his Scott. Not that he would ever, you know, say anything to Scott about wanting bro time."

Sheriff Stilinski laughed at that comment. Stiles was so much like his mother, always putting other people first.

Scott was texting someone frequently, Jackson seemed to be texting a number of people, Allison was texting someone as well, probably her parents.

So Sheriff, not knowing what else to do, asked, "Jackson, who are you texting?"

Jackson replied, "You'd be amazed at how many people are missing Stiles at school."

Stilinski replied, "Really?"

Jackson answered, "A number of people are concerned because, in their words, 'Stiles' backtalk is the only thing that makes school worth it.'"

The Sheriff burst out laughing. Stiles' ADHD had combined with typical teen attitude to become something dangerous to the stability of a typical classroom.

The sheriff continued, "Who are you texting Allison, your parents?"

Allison looked surprised by the guess while Lydia was intrigued. Allison responded, "Yes, how'd you know?"

Sheriff Stilinski said, "You are using a greater number of keystrokes than either Allison or Scott. Either you generally text very formally, using completely proper English, or you are texting someone who would disapprove of less proper language. I've met your father, so I'm guessing they are a little old fashioned."

Allison said, "Impressive work. I can see how you became Sheriff."

The Sheriff said, "Thank you. Who are you texting, Scott?"

Scott nervously shot a look at the others. He stammered, "It's a long story."

The Sheriff, rather confused, asked, "Is it Stiles' secret girlfriend that he sneaks out to see?"

The teens laughed. Scott said, "No, not a girlfriend."

The sheriff asked, "Is it a boyfriend, because I would be fine with that. Stiles didn't need to keep it a secret."

Lydia, Allison, and Jackson laughed. Scott looked horrified. Allison saw his face and asked, "What?"

Scott stated, slightly scared, "The first few times I saw them together, their positions were… they were… I thought he was threatening Stiles, but it could've been…"

The Sheriff questioned, "Threatened? Why was Stiles being threatened by this dude?"

Jackson stated, redirecting the question, "Who hasn't threatened Stiles? Being threatened to death is like eating for Stiles. Largely just to shut him up."

Sheriff Stilinski accepted that answer. Then he asked, "You never answered the original question. Who are you texting?"

So Scott responded, "If Stiles hasn't told you about him, I won't. It is his business to tell you who his friends are. Not mine."

The Sheriff decided now was not the time to push.

* * *

The group waited for several hours for any news. Finally, Mrs McCall came over and said, looking concerned and like she had cried, "He's stable but… but…"

Scott asked, scared for his best friend, "What's wrong, Mom? Tell us what's going on!"

His mother said, "He's in a coma right now. And even if he wakes up, he probably won't be able to walk again. His back was broken in several places." Then she broke down in tears. Stiles had been like a second son to her, since his mother had died.

They went to see Stiles. He looked so broken, so weak. He was never this still, not even when he slept. The Sheriff spent all day with his son, hoping that he would wake up. He was convinced to go home at 9 pm that night by Mrs McCall and Scott.

* * *

Derek had been waiting all day for the sheriff's car to leave. When it finally did, he snuck in to see his young pack member. Scott was still there as he had promised to stay with his friend through the night.

As soon as Derek walked through the door, Scott said, "Turn him. It will save his life."

Derek said despondently, "It would breach the treaty."

Scott replied, "Fuck the treaty. He's pack, and it will save his life."

Derek said, "Stiles would rather die than break the treaty. He did more for that treaty than anyone will ever realize."

Scott broke down in tears. He needed Stiles, as much as he needed Allison.

* * *

Allison said, "Dad, you need to allow a breach of the treaty, just this once."

Mr Argent said, "No, the treaty must be enforced, or else it is meaningless. Stiles said no. So he will not be bitten."

Mrs Argent said, "But honey, I am sure he would consent if he could."

Chris Argent replied, "But we can't know that. So it will not happen. The treaty stands, or Derek dies." He then left the room, signalling the discussion was closed.

Victoria Argent said, "The treaty stands. Humph." She went into her files and pulled something out. It was a copy of the treaty. Allison's mom then said, "I'm not giving you this with explicit instructions to have Lydia read it back to front to find some loophole. I'm giving this to you so you can be fully apprised of all the intricacies of the treaty so you can better fulfil your duties as Argent-Hale liaison."

Allison said, "Thanks mom. I'm not going to go read this treaty back to front to find a loophole. I'm going to go study with Lydia, staying overnight, so we can study for a test tomorrow."

Mrs Argent said, "Good. Drive safe, and see you tomorrow afternoon."

Allison left to go to Lydia's. Lydia was ecstatic to get to read such a complex (sort of) legal document in an attempt to find a loophole.

* * *

Allison said to Lydia, hours later, "Found anything?"

Lydia said, "The first 5 pages are about decreasing the number of hunters as months pass, eventually leaving only you and your parents in town. The hunters must have had a lawyer write this up."

Then Allison, who had read the second set of five pages, said, "Wait, look at these. Can you find a definition of consent in this?"

Lydia looked for several minutes, scanning for every instance of the word "consent".

She finally said, "No. Wait a minute…" She ran to her computer to find something. After a couple of minutes, "If we argue that this is a matter of medical consent, Stiles no longer has the ability to communicate his intentions. That means that, as a minor, his medical power of attorney is transferred to his father."

Allison said, "Write down that in legalese, so I can take it to my father."

* * *

Stiles had not improved at all by the next day. Allison only barely paid attention in class that day. Making an argument for this was terrifying. Her father was not going to be happy.

Allison walked straight up to her father and said, "The pack has petitioned your decision to not allow the bite to Stiles."

Mr Argent replied, "Have they? My decision stands."

Allison stated, "They would like to direct your attention to Articles 37-54 of the treaty."

Mr Argent looked interested at where this discussion was going. He pulled out his copy of the treaty. "Please continue the pack's petition."

Allison pulled out a notecard from her pocket. She read, "In the treaty, you used the word 'consent' in context of receiving the bite, 17 times. But not once did you define what you meant by consent."

Mr Argent stated, "The lawyers stated that 'consent' was clear enough without any clarification."

Allison continued, "The pack would argue that in this case, the bite is acting as a medical procedure."

Chris Argent said, "I will consent, for the sake of argument, to that point of view."

The Argent-Hale liaison stated, "As such, Stiles, since he is unconscious, no longer has the ability to consent to any procedure."

Mr Argent said, not quite seeing where this was going, "Okay."

Allison said, "As he is a minor, his medical power of attorney now rests with his father."

Mr Argent suddenly understood, and asked, "Are you… I mean, is the pack suggesting that we fully disclose the situation to the sheriff and allow him to decide whether or not to inflict the bite on Stiles?"

Allison said, "Yes."

Mr Argent thought for a minute. He was of the opinion that the parents should be informed any way. Allison knew this. She was utilizing that position to attempt to sway his opinion. So he said, "If the pack is treating it as a medical procedure, a medical professional must also consent to the procedure."

Allison looked crestfallen. Even though officially the pack had prepared this petition, Chris knew that this was Allison's and Lydia's work. He was willing to bet Derek didn't even know about this petition. So he continued, "I think an appropriate medical professional would be Melissa McCall."

Allison dropping the liaison attitude, said, "So, this is going to be left up to Scott, essentially. I'm going to go inform the pack of your decision."

She went upstairs and started texting.

To: Scott

Is Sher w/ Stiles?

From: Scott

Yea

To: Derek

Call pack meeting. Re: Stiles.

To: Lydia

Conditional yes. More info meeting.

From: Derek. To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, Stiles)

Meeting at House ASAP. Re: Stiles

Allison got up and left to go to Hale House. As soon as the pack was assembled, she said, "Lydia and I found a loophole in the treaty, which I have already argued to my father and he has agreed."

Scott said, "So Derek can go bite Stiles? Why are we still talking?"

Allison said, nervously, "The loophole is sort of complicated. If you want the legal jargon, talk to Lydia. But what it boils down to is we have to get both Sheriff Stilinski and Mrs McCall to agree."

Derek said, "I may be Alpha, but this will not be my decision to make. I will not force you to tell your mom, Scott."

Scott said, "So either I tell my mom and Mr Stilinski, or I may never get my best friend back." He thought for several moments then said, "I'm telling them."

* * *

Scott convinced his mom and Sheriff Stilinski to meet him in Stiles' Hospital room. He was nervous as all get out.

As soon as his mom got there, he asked, "Would you know when a nurse is next coming by?"

His mom checked and said, "At least half an hour. Why?"

Scott said, "We need to talk, the three of us about Stiles."

The Sheriff said, "Whatever it is, just say it."

Scott said, "Please don't freak out." Before either of the parents could say anything, Scott transformed.

Mrs McCall gasped. Sheriff Stilinski put his hand on his gun. Scott returned to his human form and said, "I'm sort of a werewolf."

The Sheriff asked, "How long have you been like this? Is Stiles as well? What does this have to do with Stiles? Why are you telling us this? Are you connected to all of those animal attacks?"

Scott chuckled and said, "Now I know where the babbling comes from." Then he continued more seriously, "I've been a werewolf since that night with half a body. When you caught Stiles and didn't catch me. Stiles is not a werewolf, though he is pack. I'll explain that later. I was not responsible for any of the animal attacks."

Mrs McCall asked sincerely, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Scott replied, "Oh yeah, that would have gone well. 'Hey Mom, I'm a mythological creature, thought you'd like to know.'"

The parents chuckled lightly. Scott said, "The reason I'm telling you now is because there is a good chance that, if we turn Stiles, he would heal."

Mrs McCall said, "Why are you asking at all? You have been doing stuff without either of us knowing for years."

Scott said, "My Pack has a treaty with Argents that, among other things, prevents us from turning people without full consent."

The sheriff asked, "What are the Argents, vampires?"

Scott laughed and said seriously, "No, they are werewolf hunters, have been forever."

Mrs McCall said, "They are the silver that kills werewolves, aren't they? Their name means silver."

Scott said, "Yeah. You know French?"

Mrs McCall responded, "Latin. Close enough for the connection to be made."

The Sheriff said, "Back to werewolf stuff, please." He paused and said, "Argents hunt werewolves. The Hales must have been werewolves!"

Scott said, "Yes, but they didn't kill anyone, at least, not before the fire. Peter Hale went mad after the fire. He started killing everyone connected to the fire. He's the one who bit me."

Mrs McCall asked, "What happened to Peter?"

Scott shifted uncomfortably and said, "Me, Jackson, Stiles, Allison, Mr Argent, and Derek Hale ki…put him down." He could not bring himself to say "killed".

The Sheriff said, "I understand you had to. You should have called me. I would've helped."

Scott said, "Stiles wanted to protect you from the supernatural."

The Sheriff thought Stiles was so much like his mother, always putting other people first, trying to protect them.

Then the Sheriff said, "Wait, Derek Hale? Is that who you were texting the other day? Him? You think he and Stiles are in a relationship?"

Scott said, "I doubt the relationship, but I was texting him. He's the Alpha, the leader of the pack."

Sheriff Stilinski said, "You've been talking to someone who… wait, Peter was the one who did all that stuff, not Derek right?"

Scott said, "Yea, all Peter. Well, except for Kate Argent. But she tried to kill him, and breached the Code."

The Sheriff asked, "The Code?"

Scott said, "The Code is the rules that the Hunters follow. The basis of The Code is that they 'hunt those who hunt them'. It's also the basis of the treaty with them. We won't hurt humans, they won't hurt us."

Sheriff said, "You can bite him if it will save him."

Scott said, "Oh, I can't turn him. Only the Alpha has that ability."

Sheriff said, "Call him. He can do it."

Scott said, "He didn't want to rush your decision. He's waiting until tomorrow for your decision. Mom, you are going to also have to approve of the procedure. Plus, you guys need to hear the risks."

Mrs McCall asked, "Risks?"

Scott said, "If Stiles' research and Lydia's math is correct, which I'm willing to bet it is, Stiles has about a 62% chance of successful infection."

Mrs McCall said, "What is does failure mean?"

Scott said, nervously, "29% chance of death and 9% chance of something else entirely, something that we can't really predict."

Mrs McCall, in full nurse mode, said, "71% survival rate. Not excellent but…"

The Sheriff said, "But what?"

Mrs McCall said, "The doctors say he only has about a 25% chance of waking up at all right now. They weren't going to tell you until the end of the week, when his chances go down even further."

Scott then said, "Then there are the dangers of the full moon. We don't have full control of ourselves during the full moon. We are easily provoked, short-tempered, and then we sort of have to change that night."

Mrs McCall said, "So, you guys have a period, a violent period, but a period none the less."

Scott chuckled at the comparison, and said, "I guess."

Sheriff said, "What is your opinion, Melissa?"

Scott's mother said, "I would say that this 'procedure' has potential. I would recommend it as it is the only real treatment option."

Stiles' father said, "I'll think about it tonight. I'll give my answer in the morning."

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski was in quite a state that night. So he was really not in the mood when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Derek Hale.

The sheriff begrudgingly let him in.

The Sheriff said, "Scott told me pretty much everything. The rest was contained in the research upstairs. I found it impressive how much not porn I found on his computer."

Derek did something that was almost a smile. The sheriff could see that the man…_werewolf_…was still deeply affected by the loss of his family a decade ago.

Then Derek said, "Scott… well, he may be in my pack, and he may be a good kid, but he still has issues seeing the bite as a gift. He would rather be typical than be a werewolf."

The Sheriff responded, "There is no such thing as a free lunch. The power you have has its own weaknesses. The blessing is a curse and the curse is a blessing. Neither is wrong, but neither is right. You have never been human, so seeing the darkness first doesn't make sense to you."

Derek tilted his head and said, "You see things in a unique way, much like Stiles."

The Sheriff said, "Do you know about Scott's family?"

Derek said, "I know he doesn't talk about his dad."

The Sheriff said, "His _father _is a jerk. His mom has had bad luck with relationships. Every time Scott's mom got something big without any work, it went bad. Way bad. So, whenever good things happen to Scott, he waits for the disaster. So yeah, he got good at lacrosse suddenly, but then he became something that goes bump in the night. He's gotten to the place where he would rather have nothing spontaneous good happen just so the shoe won't drop. "

Derek asked, "How bad is his father?"

The sheriff said, "Since Melissa kicked him out, 12 years ago, he hasn't come back once. Scott probably only thinks of him slightly fonder then he does his sire Peter."

Derek said, changing the topic, "Stiles is a good kid. He has saved my life more than once. He helped Scott deal with the whole wolf thing, even at the risk of his own life. He's in the pack because I want him there. Everyone else are wolves, except Allison, whose there because Scott and her are dangerously in love."

Sheriff Stilinski said sternly, "What are your intentions towards my son?"

Derek did that almost smile again and said, "I heard about that conversation. I realize now that my threats were a bit excessive and could be construed as something else entirely from the outside. On a good day my feelings towards him are brotherly."

The Sheriff dared to ask, "On a bad day?"

The Alpha responded, with a slight smile, "Chloroform has crossed my mind."

The Sheriff chuckled. Shutting Stiles up was a skill. He asked, "So, if I allow the bite, you will have some level of control over him, right?"

Derek said, "Honestly, I doubt it. My Uncle could only really control Scott for a short period. And Scott is nowhere near as strong as Stiles."

The Sheriff felt a small amount of pride well up at someone telling him how strong his son was. Most of the time it was that Stiles was annoying, or couldn't focus, or not living up to his potential.

They spoke for a few more minutes and then Derek left. The Sheriff felt a little better after that about the bite itself.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski had decided by the next morning. He called Scott and said, "Have it arranged for 4:30 this afternoon."

Scott said, "Yes, sir."

* * *

At 4:17, he walked into his son's room. It was quiet. They had had to put in a feeding tube earlier. He said, "Stiles, I am going to save you. Please do this for me. Please make it through. You know I can't handle it without either of you. Please don't hate me for the decision I made."

At 4:21, Mrs McCall came in. She silently stood there, waiting.

At 4:26, Derek came in and said gruffly, "Argent's coming to double check the full disclosure." He obviously didn't like Chris.

At 4:29, Chris Argent came in. He asked, "So they gave you all the information?"

Melissa said, "Yes, Chris. Scott told us everything."

Mr Argent questioned, "Wolfsbane, death chance, everything?"

The two parents said simultaneously, "Yes."

Then the Sheriff said, "Go ahead, Derek."

Derek transformed, pulled off the covers, and gingerly bit Stiles' abdomen. He then covered up the boy and waited.

The Sheriff asked, "How long 'til we know?"

Derek replied, "Tomorrow at the earliest."

The other adults left the Stilinskis alone. After a couple of hours, Derek came back and said, "Even when the bite takes, it will be a while. It took my uncle years to heal from the fire. Stiles has massive internal injuries, head trauma, damaged spinal cord, and a broken back. It will take a long time to heal."

The Sheriff asked, "How long do you think?"

Derek said, "From Stiles, a month. He will be fine. He just needs time."

At that moment, he felt something touch at the edge of his mind, just out of reach. He smiled slightly and said, "It was successful. I can sort of feel him." It was the first time he felt the pack consciously. He focused on the feelings and felt that Lydia was studying, Jackson was doing homework, and Allison and Scott were making out. He visibly shuddered as he withdrew from the pack. Stiles was just there, though. No emotion. No feeling what so ever.

The Sheriff asked, "What do you mean you can feel him? And what made you shudder?"

Derek said, "New Alpha ability. I can feel them. Know what they are doing. I now feel like a creepy stalker."

The sheriff chuckled softly. Derek left him in peace.

* * *

**That was a long, meandering chapter. Next up, waiting. He he.**


	2. Coma Talks

**Coma talks, what do you say to someone who doesn't talk back? **

**Also I would also like to note the amazing response I got from this story. Chapter one and over a dozen follows!**

* * *

As soon as they knew the bite took, and Stiles would survive, someone was with him as much as possible. During the school day, Derek or Sheriff Stilinski was there waiting with him. During the evenings, Allison, Scott, Lydia, or Jackson were there. Mrs McCall requested a department transfer so that she could always be near if he woke up.

Each one came alone. And, at first, they would just sit. Then they started talking.

* * *

Scott (3 days after bite)

"Hey Stiles, life's been quiet without you. I think even Mr Harris is beginning to miss you. He seems bored without you to argue with daily. "

"Do you remember when we were little and we would sleepover at each other's house, but try to stay up all night? We would talk until like 2 am, and then we would both just collapse on the bed. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately. I'll try to make more time when you get up. How about we do that werewolf movie marathon you've been talking about. Mock all of them for their inaccuracies."

"I need you to get better, man. I know we have other friends now, but you have always been my best friend."

* * *

Allison (8 days after bite)

"Hi, Stiles, you won't believe how much Scott misses you. You're just about the only thing he talks about any more. I wonder if that's why you got so annoyed about me. Did he never shut up about me? Why do I suspect that's exactly what happened?"

"But really, I think the two of us are just about all Scott really care about, maybe his mom, too."

"He wanted to have you bitten right away, with no concern for the treaty. That means he might just care for you more than me. I might just be jealous."

"I think Lydia is beginning to miss you, too. And a lot more than just being pack. I think she's realizing how present you've been, how consistently nice. Always there if she needed you."

* * *

Jackson (10 days after bite)

"Lydia sorta told me I had to talk to you; something to do with coma patients responding well to it or something."

"I'm sorry for how mean I've always been to you. The first time I met you, my parents had just told me I was adopted, and then you tried to be nice to me, but I wasn't in the mood for it. And then you totally wouldn't shut up. So I yelled at you and made you run away. Later I found out that you were so hurt because I said something mean about your mother, and she had just died."

"You should know that I'm pretty sure Lydia is into you now. And you know what, I'm fine with that. I never really liked Lydia. I mean, underneath the hard shell is a nice girl, but I'm not into her like that. I sort of don't like girls at all. I'm pretty sure I'm gay. And I have a crush on Danny."

* * *

Derek (14 days after bite)

"Stiles, the pack needs you. None of us can cook half as well as you do. Where did you learn to cook so well?"

"Even pack meetings are empty without you. They are all so worried about you. I have to force them to do their homework."

"Do you remember the first time we did a dog pile nap? You almost walked away before I told you it was pack bonding. Then you said, 'I'm not a wolf, or a mate. I don't belong there.' I told you then and there that you were pack; you had done too much to form the pack for you not to be pack. You joined in on the edge."

"Do you remember the second dog pile? You fell asleep on the couch. I carried you to the bed, and then the pack slept around you. When we woke up, you were so out of it. Apparently the calming effect of the dog pile was too much for a human to be at the very center of."

"Actually, I remember something similar happening to a baby cousin of mine, no more than 6 at the time. Sometimes werewolves have human children. He was one of those. We had started a pile, but he crawled to the dead center of our much larger pack. He was so serene for 2 days."

"I did some looking into your family. Your maternal grandmother was the human sister of my paternal grandfather. You are actually my cousin. How do you manage to do that? Be right without even meaning to."

"I suspect you will end up being second in command when you wake up. You had a fragment of the wolf in you before. All humans descended from werewolves do. It's the reason why we never turned the human kids. Too much wolf would come out. But you, being 3 generations removed from your last werewolf relative, have just enough to make you more powerful, and to increase your odds of survival."

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski (17 days after bite)

"Hey, son, the doctors say you're healing spectacularly."

"I really hope you understand why I did what I did, why I decided to let them turn you."

"Your mother would be so proud of you. You have been stronger than any one would ever imagine."

"I need my little boy home. The house is always so empty now."

* * *

Mrs McCall (20 days after bite)

"Hey, Buddy, everyone is so worried about you. I know you'll be just fine, though. You always are."

"I've watched you and Scott be there for each other all the time. More often than not, you were there for him. Apparently, you've even been there for him through this werewolf madness. "

"I watched you be strong after your mother passed. You knew you needed to be strong for your father. Be strong now. Wake up for all of us."

On the night of the full moon, Jackson called in a favour and asked Danny to sit with Stiles for the night.

* * *

Danny (22 days after bite)

"Hey, man I know we never really talk, but here I am. Jackson said that he had something to do tonight, as did all your other friends. You know their secret, don't you?"

"Two months ago, Jackson wouldn't be caught dead with you. Now he spends more time with you than he does with me. I mean, even before the accident."

"Once you asked me if I found you attractive. You were a bit gangly for my tastes, but what's on the outside hardly matters. You are loyal, even when people treat you like crap. You forgive people, no matter what they've done to you. You're smarter than people give you credit for. You're brave, if what Jackson told me about that night at school is true."

"You are a great person, no matter how few people see it. Jackson seems to believe you're gonna get up soon. That's weird for him, cause he usually is doom and gloom, worst possible case. This means that whatever his secret is, you are in on it too. Maybe one day he'll trust me enough to tell me."

* * *

Stiles (Outside of normal time continuum)

Stiles was somewhere weird. It was empty, but not a white empty or a black empty. It was an empty empty, which made no sense, but yet there it was.

Then a woman Stiles so dearly missed came towards him: his mother.

So he asked, "Mommy? Am I dead? Is this Heaven? Please tell me this isn't Heaven. But that would mean this was Hell. I don't want this to be Hell either. Where are we?"

His mother gently said, "You are in between life and the afterlife."

Stiles said, "So, Purgatory?"

His mother laughed and said, "You can think of it like that. But you aren't dead. You are in a coma, but you're healing."

Stiles accepted that and said, sadly, "I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm not even sure I should go back."

Mrs Stilinski said, "You have had to do things no 16 year old should have to do, made decisions that your father would have difficulty making. You did what was necessary to protect yourself and your friends. Peter crossed the lines trying to get revenge. You did the right thing. The Hales on the other side were quite upset with what Peter was doing in their name."

Stiles said, "You taught me that all life was sacred."

Stiles' mom said, "It is, but sometimes it has to be destroyed to protect all people. I got to glimpse what would have happened if Peter had not been killed. It got worse, much worse. You did what you had to, which makes you a strong person."

Stiles said, "Not as strong as Scott."

His mother said, "You were always just as strong as Scott. You were not the Robin to Scott's Batman. You were the Batman to Scott's Superman. You were a man fighting the supernatural's fight."

Stiles said, "What's going to happen when I get back?"

Mrs Stilinski answered, "You are going to have an amazing year. Now remember, I will always love you and your father. And I will always be there for both of you, just not visibly. And please get your father in a relationship. He deserves to be happy too."

Then his favourite woman ever faded into nothingness.

* * *

Lydia (33 days after bite)

"Stiles, you need to wake up. You can't keep us waiting like this forever. I need you because you are the only one in the pack who is smart enough to keep up with me. You might even be smarter, if you actually applied yourself."

"Stiles, I need you to be there again, like you've always been. You've been waiting for me to notice you since elementary school. You know what? I think I did. I remember when you spilled milk on a kid in 3rd grade for talking about my parents' divorce. I remember when you punched a kid for knocking me over on purpose in 5th grade. I remember you sending me a Valentine's in 7th grade. I remember you taking notes for me after I had my appendectomy in 8th grade. You have been waiting for me forever. Now I'm waiting for you."

"I miss your babble. I miss your snarky attitude toward teachers. I miss your cookies, and your dinners. I miss it all."

"I love you, damn it. I think I've finally fallen for you." She then got up and kissed Stiles' forehead.

Stiles' eyes fluttered open.

Lydia yelled, "Mrs McCall!"

Scott's mom came running in. She saw Stiles' open eyes. He was looking around. He then gestured to the ventilator tube in his mouth. Then his eyes drifted close. Lydia looked terrified. Mrs McCall said, "That is to be expected. He will slowly be able to stay awake longer each time. I suggest you tell Derek immediately. I'm calling the Sheriff."

Lydia called Derek immediately. Derek answered, "Yes, Lydia?"

Lydia said excitedly, "Stiles woke up for a minute. He went back to sleep almost immediately, but he was sort of aware. Mrs McCall said it was normal."

Derek said, "I'll tell the pack."

He hung up. A text came in shortly.

From: Derek To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, Stiles)

Stiles woke briefly. Will come n & out 4 least nxt wk.

To: Lydia From: Allison

Wat n HELL did u say 2 wake him up?

To: Allison From: Lydia

Xactly wat he has ben waitn 4. Thn kissd him on 4head.

To: Lydia From: Scott

Plz tell me u ment it.

To: Scott From: Lydia

Yes I ment it. I luv him.

By then the Sheriff came in. He said, "He really woke up?"

Lydia nodded her head.

* * *

The next day, a Saturday, the whole pack went into the room together. The breathing tube had been removed, as it appeared his breathing had stabilized.

Stiles's eyes fluttered open after they had waited about an hour. He said, in a hoarse voice, "Can I have some water?"

Scott got up to ask a nurse of a cup of water. He came back with one. Lydia helped him drink it slowly (his arms, even though he was a werewolf, were a bit weak from not moving at all.).

Scott asked, "How do you feel?"

Stiles said, "Oddly like I tried to fight a tree and the tree won."

The pack snickered at that. He then yawned and drifted back to sleep. He did that for the better part of the day, just drifting in and out of sleep.

That night, the Sheriff waited for Stiles to wake up. When he finally did the father said, "Hey, son, did you sleep well?"

Stiles said, "Yes, though these naps are sort of annoying, never can get to the good part of the conversation."

The Sheriff chuckled and said, "Well, it's amazing to hear your voice again, even for a little while."

Stiles said, "Just wait, in a couple of days, people will be yelling for me to shut up again."

The overjoyed father said, "You wouldn't be you if people weren't telling you to shut up."

Stiles responded, "Touché. Dad, have you been eating healthy while I was away?"

Sheriff Stilinski said, "You make it sound as if you've been on vacation. Is hospital food at least twice a day healthy enough for you?"

Stiles said, "I'm so sorry, hospital food all the time? I pity your stomach. Though, yours isn't the one with a hole in it."

The sheriff said, "The doctor said that if you can stay awake for an hour straight tomorrow your tube will be removed."

Stiles said, "Can I just have my Adderall to stay awake?"

The sheriff said, "Not until you can stay up for 8 hours by yourself. Doctor's orders."

As Stiles' eyes started drifting close, he said half asleep, "Mommy sends her love."

Mr Stilinski sits straight up at that. It was only 9:30 pm, so he calls the McCall residence. The phone was answered with, "McCall Residence, Scott Speaking."

The Sheriff responded, "Hey Scott, Can I speak with your mom?"

He said, "Sure." Then, slightly muffled, "MOM, ITS FOR YOU!"

After a minute, Melissa answered the phone. She said, "Hello?"

He said, "Hey. I wanted to ask you about something Stiles said as he fell asleep."

She replied, "Ask away."

The Sheriff said, "As he was drifting asleep, he said 'Mommy sends her love.'"

Melissa McCall said, "Last year, I would have said it was a memory fragment from years ago. But now, with everything I've found out… I can't be sure he didn't talk to his mother while in the coma."

The Sheriff asked, "You believe he might have?"

Mrs McCall said, "From a supernatural point of view he wasn't here. He could have been on the other side. Or closer to there than here. I can't be sure of anything anymore."

* * *

The next day, Stiles awoke to see Derek. It was evidently morning.

Derek said, "Hey Stiles, how are you healing?"

Stiles said, "Pretty good. All that sleep must be doing me good."

Derek said, "I… you… I turned you."

Stiles said, "Without consent! Argent's going to kill you. Then I will resurrect you so I can kill you. Then maybe resurrect you again so Argent can kill you again. I'm thankful and all, but you broke the treaty. You know how much blackmail went into getting him to agree to make a treaty! I managed to connect him to 27 unsolved murders. All of which were preceded by wild animal attacks, but that's beside the point. I worked hard to make that treaty, as did you. And you throw it all away to save me! I'm flattered, but very upset."

Derek smiled slightly, and said, "The whole pack missed the babble. Now, what we did is found a loophole in the treaty, or at least, Lydia and Allison did. But you are still going to be upset about the next part."

Stiles said, very sternly, "What did you do?"

Derek felt nervous. Hell, when was the last time he felt nervous. He was an Alpha. Damn, that wolf in Stiles was powerful. He said, "We managed to argue that it was a medical procedure…"

Stiles said, connecting the dots in his head, "You told my father! I wanted him out of this madness. I wanted to protect him. Who else did you tell? Mrs McCall?"

Derek said, "Yes."

Stiles said, "What the hell, man. Did you tell the Whittemores? The Martins?"

Derek said, "No. I got consent from your father, and Mrs McCall acting as a medical professional to approve the procedure. It was Scott's decision whether or not to tell them."

Derek then realized that Stiles had changed due to his anger, his eyes flashing bright blue, like his used to. Derek said, "Calm down Stiles. You've gone a bit furry."

Stiles laughed, his features melting back to human. "Since when do you joke?"

Derek said, "Jackson started it. If one of us changed when we didn't mean to, he would say, 'You've gone a bit furry.' It was so funny that whatever was wrong was laughed off. So wolfing out is now going furry."

Stiles said, "How bad has the pack been?"

Derek said, "Not bad, just on edge. Someone slept here every night. From what I can tell, rarely did the ones not here sleep alone. Speaking of which, do you remember what woke you up the first time?"

He said, "I have a vague recollection of Lydia kissing my forehead."

They spoke for over an hour. Then Stiles drifted back to sleep. But not before saying, "See you later, cuz."

Derek's eyes widened. He prepared to text the pack.

To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, Stiles) From: Derek

I hope no 1 said anythng private 2 Stiles while comatose. He remembers.

To: Derek From: Jackson

Plz tell me uv developed a sense of humor

To: Jackson From: Derek

No

* * *

Later that day, Stiles ate for the first time. His dad came to eat with him.

Stiles said, "Dad, we have a problem."

The Sheriff responded, "What?"

Stiles said, "My new metabolism is going to burn through any Adderall given. Werewolves are not affected by any chemical except wolfsbane. Which is deadly. So that's bad. And totally not an option to control my ADHD. So, what are we going to do?"

Sheriff Stilinski said, "We'll figure something out. Or I'll call Lydia for her to figure it out. Today, you just eat so you can get that tube pulled out."

Stiles said, "When can I get the skewer in my wiener removed?"

The single father coughed the water he was drinking up his nose. He asked, "Did you really have to say it like that?"

Stiles said, "Yes."

The parent said, "The catheter will be removed as soon as believe you would wake up to go to the bathroom."

Stiles said, "You know, people say the funniest things to people who aren't supposed to be able to listen."

The elder Stilinski said, "You remember some of what people said to you while you were in the coma?"

Stiles giggled and said, "Yep. Like Derek found out I'm his cousin. Derek is surprisingly chatty when no one is supposed to be listening. Scott wouldn't shut up about me while I was out cold. Scott finally realized that we need to spend time together on occasion. Lydia loves me. Danny totally feels left out by Jackson. And Jackson is… totally going to be kept a secret."

The Sheriff asked, "Did you stop a babble? And figure out what belonged in a secrets box while in a babble?"

Stiles said, "I guess I did. Huh. Well, some secrets belong to be secrets."

The Sheriff said, "Oh yes, though it isn't a good idea to keep major life altering events from your father. Especially since it would have explained why you were at half the crime scenes during the disaster with Peter."

Stiles visibly shivered. He said, "I understand where you're coming from. But not knowing kept you from being involved in the supernatural stuff. And please, please don't say that name."

Mr Stilinski realized now how bad Peter was for Stiles. He should have realized Stiles wasn't sleeping. Actually, he did realize. He just thought it was whatever beast that attacked Lydia bothering him. Which it was, just not in the way he thought.

Stiles stayed up for 3 hours that time. Then Mrs McCall came to pull out the feeding tube. The former hole sealed up almost instantly.

Stiles said, "That is so cool."

The Sheriff asked, half joking, "Am I too old to turn?"

Stiles said, "My research indicated that chances of successful infection decreased by 3 percent every year over 21. Your chance of survival would be next to zilch."

The Sheriff responded by mock pouting. Then he smiled.

* * *

The next day, the catheter was removed, to Stiles' chagrin.

Lydia came by that day. Stiles asked, "Um… ? Maybeamovieordinnerorboth? Ordidyouonlysaythattowakemeu p? Please,please,pleasetellmeyouwereserious."

Lydia was amused by how fast Stiles babbled. She said, "Of course I meant it. But, no date until you catch up on your schoolwork."

Stiles said, "Ah, man. I have like a million years' worth of homework. We'll never go on a date."

Lydia said, "How about this, we have a study date weekend: just you, me, and 5 weeks' worth of notes."

Stiles said, "I get Lydia Martin all to myself for an entire weekend? Sign me up!"

Lydia laughed.

Then Stiles asked, "Has my Dad asked you about my new metabolism issue?"

Lydia asked, "No. What's wrong?"

Stiles said, "Adderall and speed healing don't play well, or so I'm pretty sure."

Lydia looked horrified. She said, "I remember the last time you forgot your medicine, Great Cornholio."

Stiles defended, "It was a Bevis and Butthead reference."

Lydia retorted, "Did that require you to shout it at the top of your lungs in the lunch room while stuffing candy in your pants?"

Stiles said, as if it explained everything, "I had candy for my Bunghole."

Lydia just shook her head. Then she said, "I'll look through the research. Maybe I can find a solution that does not call for an IV drip of Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine."

Stiles was released a few days later.

* * *

**Stiles/Lydia. I'm a sucker for unrequited love. Next up, studying and Jackson realizing he's an idiot.**


	3. Studies

**Wolf Girl: your point of view is understandable since you don't have ADHD. Asthma and Epilepsy aren't like ADHD, though. Actually, if you consider the _Hunter-Farmer Hypothesis_ true, it's entirely possible that the condition would get worse with lycanthropy. I'm not going to take that path, though. **

**Also, it maybe is because, as an ADHDer, I don't consider anything wrong with myself, only different. **

**For anyone, I generally think out (and possibly overthink) all aspects of my story. If you have any kind of question about anything in the story, ask away. I enjoy all non-bashing intellectual discussions.**

* * *

To welcome Stiles home, Derek bought him a newer, safer Jeep. Stiles tried to convince him that it was not necessary, but Derek responded with an air of finality, that he needed a way to get himself and Scott to Pack meetings.

* * *

Lydia prepared for a long Saturday. She was looking forward to spending time with Stiles, she really was. But she was uncertain about how to deal with an ADHDer without medication.

She rang the doorbell to the Stilinski residence at 8:00 am. Stiles answered the door with a smile. Then he asked, "May I take your… bags? Why do you have two bags? Were there really that many notes I missed? This is going to take two million years!"

Lydia said, "I made copies of all my notes from the beginning of the year. I've seen your notes. The second bag is all of those."

Stiles, taking the bags while leading Lydia to the dining room, asked, "Thanks. Um, have you had any luck on the medication front?"

Lydia said, "As far as I can tell, werewolves have not turned anyone with any mental condition. Apparently they were afraid of unbalanced werewolves. Werewolves don't have breaking issues, like cancer or heart disease, due to our healing factor. But ADHD isn't something broken; it's more like you work differently."

Stiles said, sounding concerned, "It also doesn't help that Psychiatry is nowhere near old enough for werewolf lore to overlap."

Lydia said, "I spoke with Ms Myers about an early re-evaluation of your 504 plan. I informed her of the doctors concerns about you returning to the Adderall for at least 6 months. She and your father had a meeting yesterday. Normally, you would have been there, but they decided expediency was preferable to any delay."

Stiles said, "You did a lot a research about this."

Lydia responded, "Nowhere near the level you did on werewolves."

Stiles said, "That was…"

Lydia interrupted, "That was to help someone you care about. Did you realize that Derek found things out from your research? How long did it take for you to accumulate that research?"

Stiles said with a shrug, "I did about half of it within 36 hours after Scott was bit."

Lydia said, "That much in a night?"

Stiles said, "I had a hyperfocus period."

Lydia asked, "What triggered it?"

Stiles said, "Scott was behaving weird. He needed my help. Plus, lycanthropy is a fun topic to research."

Lydia said, changing gears, "Let's start with Chemistry."

The new couple spent the day reading through Lydia's near perfect notes, working on Stiles' missed homework, and generally getting Stiles ready for school on Monday.

Lydia was more than impressed by Stiles' progress. He was working twice as fast as she expected. It wasn't really that difficult to redirect him if he started getting off topic.

* * *

Jackson just got out of the shower, when he heard the sound of glass breaking across the street. He sometimes hated his super hearing. He couldn't make out the voices, but he heard yelling. Sometimes, people fight. It wasn't his business to intervene. The window was open, so he went to close it.

Then, he recognized the voice: Lahey, Isaac Lahey. He heard Isaac thrown against something metal, probably in the basement. Then Isaac's voice became muffled, like he was in an enclosed area.

Then Jackson realized how many times he had heard Lahey say he had gotten an injury during lacrosse, or running into a door, or some other barely acceptable excuse.

He did the only thing he knew to. He picked up his phone and dialled Stiles for advice.

Stiles' voice answered, "Hey Jackson. What do you need?"

Jackson responded, voice shaking, "Isaac Lahey is being abused. Right now. I think he's locked in a metal box."

Stiles said, "I'm going to hang up and call my dad. Then I'll be over for you. "

Stiles hung up.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski answered his phone with, "Hey son, what's up? I'm going to be home in an hour."

Stiles said, "You need to get over to the Lahey residence, now. Jackson heard Isaac get put in a metal box."

The elder Stilinski said, "You're sure? I'll get a warrant and be over there as soon as possible."

He then hung up.

* * *

Stiles was at Jackson's house in 3 minutes. Stiles flinched as he heard fingernails scraping against metal.

He called his father back. "Dad, how long will it take? Isaac is in imminent danger, I went over to Jackson's house, I can hear Isaac trying to escape form a confined metal space."

The sheriff said, "I can't just burst in. He needs to go to jail, and the only way to do that is to get a warrant. I'm on my way to a judge. I can get a warrant for this with little discussion. I'm going to do a full search of the house. Give me 15 minutes."

He then hung up.

Stiles climbed up to Jackson's room (It was after hours, he never used front doors after hours), and knocked on the window.

Jackson opened the window and asked, "How long until your dad gets here?"

Stiles responded, "15 minutes. He has to get a warrant, so that the bastard will go to jail."

Jackson was physically shaking. He said, "This is my fault."

Stiles said, "No it's not."

Jackson said, "I was team captain. I should have noticed his injuries. Coach Finstock should have noticed his injuries. Why didn't I notice? He has lived across the street form me for as long as I can remember. How long has this been going on? If I wasn't so fucking self-centered, so damn focused on finding out about Scott, Isaac could have been out of there by now." Jackson was actually crying.

Stiles asked, trying to distract Jackson, "Why did you call me instead of 911?"

Jackson answered, smiling weakly, "I couldn't very well tell the 911 operator that I heard an argument from across the street, could I?"

Stiles said, "Good thinking. Hey, have you spent any time with Danny lately?"

Jackson said, defensively, "No. Why are you asking?"

Stiles responded, "It has nothing to do with your crush. Danny mentioned to coma boy that you never spent any time with him anymore."

Jackson chuckled, "Coma boy? Really? "

Stiles responded, "Yes, Coma boy. Except when it's about me being absent, in which case, I speak as though I was on some kind of vacation."

Jackson laughed again.

* * *

The boys watched from the window as Mr Lahey was carted off to jail. Isaac was put in a temporary foster home.

Jackson said with total conviction, "He should be offered the bite."

Stiles asked, "What? We don't offer the bite to absolve our guilty conscience. Plus, we don't tell people. They find out. Then we offer, because both sides want this to stay a secret."

Jackson said, "The boy is completely broken. You heard his cries for help! We need to help him."

Stiles responded, "Bring it up tomorrow at the Pack meeting. "

* * *

**I've decided to go for shorter chapters for the moment. I'll be able to do them more consistently. If you want longer chapters, review. Right now, expect over 1000 word count chapters.**


	4. Isaac

**Thank you for all of the attention. 6 reviews, 18 followers, and 9 favourites in 2 days! This story will not be ending for a while. As long as you guys like this story, I'll continue.**

* * *

Normal, not emergency Pack meetings followed a pattern: Training for an hour, dinner, and then a discussion that wasn't always more than four minutes long. Most weeks also included a dog pile nap, but Derek wanted to give Stiles time to catch up on school. Derek wanted to enforce a "school comes first" policy.

Stiles was nervous about training. Training was about learning to control your wolf by fighting. Derek had explained that the more you pulled out the wolf, the less it tried to get out. Control wasn't about suppressing the animal; it was giving it an outlet. So that was why Stiles was preparing to face off against his best friend.

Scott said, "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you." Derek snorted slightly.

Stiles pulled out his wolf. Derek and Scott were momentarily stunned. No one pulled out the wolf while smiling a smile that large. It looked wrong.

Scott then shifted as well. He crouched slightly and snarled. Stiles snarled back. They then rushed at each other. They grabbed arms and tried to force the other into submission. Scott was knocked down in an impressive show of force. But Stiles' eyes looked a little wilder than normal. He held Scott down as he put his fangs against Scott's neck. Scott struggled and then whimpered. Stiles then backed off and returned to human form. Scott got up and asked, "What the hell was that?"

Lydia said, smirking, "He just declared dominance over you. Stiles is now second in command."

Jackson said, "Guess you're no longer top dog, McCall."

The entire pack face palmed at that. Stiles said, "Really, Jackson, I expected better. Dog jokes the best you can come up with?"

The rest of training went well.

* * *

Dinner was just pizza that week. Derek hadn't wanted to put pressure on Stiles yet, maybe in a couple weeks.

Then the Pack sat in a circle and Derek asked, "Anyone have any grievances they want to air?"

The pack shook their heads no.

Derek asked, "Anything anyone wants to discuss?"

Jackson raised his hand.

Derek asked, "What is it, Jackson?"

Jackson said, nervously, "I want to suggest offering the bite to Isaac Lahey."

Most of the pack had questioning looks.

Derek asked, "Why?"

Jackson said, "He has no idea what a family is like. His father locked him in a metal box on a regular basis. He needs people to care for him, to show him actual affection. At his age, he'll just bounce from foster home to foster home until he's 18. No one deserves to live like that. You know that, don't you, Derek? You and your sister lived in the system for 2 years before she came of age."

Derek said, oddly hesitantly, "I will think about it. That will be all for today."

The Pack knew a dismissal when they heard it. The teens quickly left.

* * *

The next evening, Sheriff Stilinski heard a knock on the door. He went to open it and saw Derek Hale. He said, "Sorry, Stiles is at Lydia's right now."

Derek said, awkwardly, "I wanted to speak to you."

The sheriff said, "Then come in."

Then two adults headed to the living room, where Derek saw Chris Argent. Derek said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll come back later." He then started to leave.

Mr Stilinski said, "No, don't. Sit down for a minute."

Derek hesitantly did as he was told. The Sheriff said, "We were just discussing offering assistance in the reconstruction of Hale House."

Derek said harshly, "He wants to help rebuild the house."

Chris said, "My sister ruined my family's good name. We have followed the Code for generations. The Sheriff suggested I offer the family's assistance as an olive branch. Then blackmailed me into agreeing to it. You Stilinskis really enjoy doing that, don't you?"

Derek nearly smiled. The Sheriff said, shrugging his shoulders, "Like father, like son."

Derek said, "We'll discuss specifics through usual channels?"

Chris nodded his head and headed out.

Mr Stilinski asked, "So, what did you want to discuss?"

Derek said, "Jackson wants me to turn Isaac Lahey. Stiles privately told me it was to make Jackson feel better about not realizing the abuse, but Jackson made excellent points about the foster care system."

The Sheriff said, "Which you had personal experience with. That was a rather low blow from Jackson."

Derek said, "Should I? It would give his a semblance of a family."

The Sheriff said, "My greatest concerns would be a) the chance of death and b) your dominance over him. I wouldn't be able to cover it up if he died, especially if you started adoption proceedings. The rest of your pack has fairly strong wills, even Jackson. Isaac has very little will power. It was beaten out of him. Now if you were going to just try to become his legal guardian, I would say you earned my seal of approval by how you were after Stiles was injured. It's obvious that you would do anything for family. But I am willing to bet Chris would object, saying you were going to coerce him into having the bite, by offering to take care of him."

Derek said, "What should I do?"

Sheriff Stilinski said, "Put it up for a vote. Let the Pack decide on membership."

Derek said, "Thank you. That may be the best option."

Derek quickly left. The Sheriff briefly wondered how he ended up being council to a werewolf Alpha. But he understood why Derek came to him. Derek needed an adult to talk to, and Sheriff was the only one who he could just go up to and speak to.

From: Derek To: Pack (Scott, Lydia, Allison, Jackson, Stiles)

Meeting 2moro aft schl. Brief.

* * *

Derek paced nervously as he waited for the 5 teens to show up.

As soon as they got there, Derek said, "We will be voting out loud, one at a time whether or not I give Isaac the option of the bite. All additional potential members will be given this treatment. Jackson, you first."

Jackson said, "Yes. I suggested him, what else would I say?"

Derek asked, "Allison?"

Allison said, rolling her eyes, obviously frustrated, "As liaison to the Argents, I must decline any potential Pack growth. I'm sorry."

Derek said, "I understand your position and apologize for you being put into it. Scott?"

Scott said, "Yea. Give him a shot at it." Derek's eyebrows went up. Scott letting someone take the curse? Either he was starting to see it as a gift, or he felt really bad for Isaac.

Derek said, "Stiles?"

Stiles said, "I stand by the idea that the less people who know, the better. So, no."

Derek said, "Lydia? Your opinion will decide."

Lydia said, "Yes. The risk of exposure is minimal."

Derek said, "Have him meet me after school."

The teens left to take care of homework.

* * *

Derek was actually surprised by how the vote turned out. Jackson was an obvious yes, and he had known Stiles disapproved, but he had expected Scott to say no because of his whole werewolves suck thing, and Allison to say yes to fight her father. Lydia was the only one he didn't know what to expect from. She was like an expert poker player: impossible to read. Except for Stiles, he seemed to understand her every move. Then again, he had virtually been her creepy stalker for the past 8 years. He should know everything about her.

* * *

Derek wasn't sure how they convinced Isaac to get in a car with them. All he knew was that Stiles had explained everything to Isaac (with Allison present to confirm it was fully informed consent).

Isaac stuttered, "I…I accept th-the bite."

Allison said gently, "You know we won't kill you if you don't accept right? You can still say no and never tell anyone."

Isaac said, "I kn-know. I want the bi-bite."

Derek went furry and bit the abused child's still black and blue abdomen.

Isaac didn't even flinch at the bite. That made Stiles even more concerned. Either he had been beaten so frequently that his nerves had become desensitized to pain, or he had been beaten so badly that the nerves were damaged.

They let Isaac lay on the damaged coach for a couple hours. Derek then felt another presence brush up against his mind. He said, "The bite took. You'll be fine. I'll text you before the next Pack meeting."

Stiles took Isaac to his foster home. It was nice enough.

* * *

Derek went straight to his two bedroom apartment (contrary to popular belief, he didn't actually live in Hale House). He tidied up a bit. A knock on his door occurred. He opened it and said, "Hello, ma'am. Come in, please."

She said, "My name is Dorothy Garde. I am here for the home inspection."

She looked around the apartment making notes. She said, "You have a number of books on werewolf mythology. Any explanation?"

He said, "All on those books managed to survive the fire. My father had an interest in mythology. He had a section on werewolves. The fire was put out before it destroyed that section."

She asked, "The fire?"

He said, "You're not from Beacon Hills, are you?"

She said, "No."

He said, harshly, "When you have time, look up the Hale House Fire, ten years ago."

She took note of his attitude. Later she removed the note when she realized she had crassly brought up the event where every member of his family had died.

The apartment had no weapons she could find, it was in a nice enough neighborhood, and was generally considered to be a safe environment. She approved of him as a possible guardian for Isaac Lahey.

* * *

Derek then went to the Sheriff, who was preparing him for the court hearing. He had gotten a lawyer friend to assist with drafting the petition.

The Sheriff said, "Mr. Lacey plead no contest today. He's going to prison for 6 years and had to forfeit all parental rights. He no longer has any say over where Isaac goes. I looked and found no family for him to go stay with. As no one else has put forth any guardianship claim, and I am supporting your petition, I think you have a good shot at succeeding."

Derek said, "And now we wait."

Sheriff Stilinski said, "And try to show Isaac how to relate in a normal manner."

* * *

**That's it. Next up, Isaac adjusts to having people who care about him in a nonviolent way, Lydia and Stiles have a real date, and Allison gets annoyed at Derek and her father!**


	5. Broken

**Isaac's going to take time to recover. Werewolf healing healed his flesh, but no amount of magic will heal his mind. That is going to become a longer term plot.**

* * *

When Isaac woke up the next morning, he was shocked. He didn't ache and nowhere was painful. It was the first time that he was like that that he could remember. He guessed the bite did him some good.

He got up, got dressed, and went to get breakfast. Mrs Greene, his foster parent, was a nice enough lady. She asked, "How are you feeling?"

He responded, "Fi-fine."

Mrs Greene knew what had been done to him. Or at least, what the police knew. Some things did not come out in the investigation. And Isaac was determined to make sure it stayed that way.

Mrs Greene dropped him off at school. He said, "I'll catch a ri-ride or wa-walk home."

Mrs Greene allowed it. She didn't want to force him.

Isaac walked into the school. Jackson walked up behind him and threw his arm around Isaac's shoulder.

Isaac flinched and looked uncomfortable. He said, "Pl-please do-don't touch me."

Jackson let go, but looked concerned. Jackson said, "Man, if you need anything, come to any of us, me, Scott, Allison, Stiles, Lydia, even Derek, though he isn't much of a talker. See you in class, Isaac."

Jackson walked slowly, trying not to look in a rush. He went up to Stiles and said, "Isaac needs help bad."

Stiles said, "That's not news. He was locked in a metal box in the cellar. What do you expect?'

Jackson said, "He told me he didn't like to be touched."

Stiles said, "Most victims of abuse don't, totally normal behaviour."

Jackson, not knowing how else to express himself, threw his arm around Stiles' shoulder and asked, "How does this make you feel?"

Stiles said, "What are you, a psychologist? It makes me feel comfortable. Werewolves crave contact with their pack mates… oh. OH. I see your point. He is so incapable of imagining being safe, that not even the Pack makes him feel better. I'm texting Derek."

To: Derek From: Stiles

Isaac doesnt lk 2b tuched evn by pak

To: Stiles From: Derek

yr dad warnd me of dat chnc

Jackson then went over to Danny and said, "Hey, man!"

Danny said, "Oh, now you talk to me. Go talk to Isaac like you're buddy-buddies now, go talk to Stiles who you used to insult and threaten on a daily basis, then go talk to your 'best friend'. Until you trust me with whatever secret you, Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Allison, Isaac, and Miguel are hiding, just go away. I don't have time for friends who no longer trust me."

Jackson said, "Dude, don't be like that. I'll always trust you. And who the hell is Miguel?"

Danny responded, "Miguel? Drives a black Camaro, Stiles' cousin, smokin' hot abs?"

Jackson said, "That's Derek Hale, dude."

Danny said, "See, you don't even trust me enough to tell me who you are hanging out. See you around." He started walking away, then turned around and said, "You really are as bad as everyone says. To think you were the first person I came out to." He then just left Jackson, who felt like his heart was torn out.

* * *

At lunch, the Pack made sure Isaac knew to sit with them now. He used to sit alone. Jackson thought, _another sign I should have noticed .Just like should have noticed that Danny no longer trusts me. I should've told him how I felt._

Stiles could see something was bothering Jackson. After lunch, Stiles pulled aside the Lacrosse co-captain and asked, "What's up? Don't try to lie to me. I'm a werewolf."

Jackson said, "Danny no longer trusts me. And why should he? I've been keeping secrets from him. So leave me alone, Stilinski." With that, Jackson stormed off.

Jackson never called him Stilinski anymore. It was too cold for Pack.

Stiles thought of a plan to help his pack mate. It was bad news, because when Stiles makes plans, things go bad.

He went to Allison for help.

* * *

**What is Stiles' plan? Why does he need Allison's help? When will I get to Lydia and Stiles' date? Will Isaac get better? Find out these answer and many more, in the next few chapters.**

**Honestly, I didn't mean for this chapter to end so soon. Problem is, I think this story has taken on a life of its own. And it is currently demanding an entire chapter dedicated to Stiles' zany scheme.**


	6. Stiles' Zany Scheme

When Allison heard Stiles' plan, her only response was, "Are you insane?"

Stiles responded, "Quite possibly. Will you help me? Please, please, please, please, please?"

She decided to help just so Stiles would shut up.

* * *

Danny got to school with not too much time to spare and went to his locker. When he opened it, he found a sealed bag with a strange white and purple flower in it. Next to it, in magazine cut-out letters, was a note that went

dAnNY,

ThE answErs yoU seek Begin wiTh tHis

flOwer. asK jaCksoN 4 its nAme.

Danny was confused, but intrigued, a flower leading him to the secret? It was definitely too elaborate of a prank for Jackson, and he didn't know anyone else who knew that Jackson had any secrets.

Danny walked up to Jackson and asked, "Do you know what this flower is?"

Jackson looked nervous. He said, "It's called Wo-Monkshood. It's really toxic. Where did you get it?"

Danny said, "Someone left it in my locker. Said something about your secret. Now that you told me what it is, I'm going to class."

Danny left without another word.

When he got to his desk, he found another note. It said,

yOu nEEd 2 l0Ok deeper.

noTHing is impossible.

Danny's interest was piqued. He knew that if someone said "nothing is impossible" usually they were about to suggest something outside of your normal thought process. He waited until lunch, and then went to the computer lab. He typed in Monkshood. Aconite and wolfsbane were alternate names. It was highly toxic, but it had no foreseeable connection to Jackson's secret.

He went to the lunch room to get something to eat. He overheard Jackson say, "Someone left wolfsbane for Danny. Someone is trying to let him know. It has to be an Argent."

Danny thought, _Argents too? But evidently with animosity. Then why do they hang out with Allison?_

Allison said, "My family wants to keep this a secret as much as you guys do."

Lydia stated, "The note seemed to be a bit stalkerish, though. The person does not want identified by their handwriting."

Danny swore he heard Jackson say, "We could figure it out by smell." But that was impossible.

"Nothing is impossible" flashed in his mind.

Did they figure out a way to process the poisons in aconite to create a steroid of some kind? No, Lydia wasn't involved until later. But Stiles could have figured it out, he had the brains. But then where did the Argents fit into this?

He had heard that Allison's Aunt was responsible for the Hale fire, and was some kind of crazy serial killer. That had happened during the animal attacks. He had heard some classmates talking about how the wounds weren't right for a mountain lion.

Wolfsbane, what was so special about that poisonous flower? Wait, why did Jackson call in monkshood when he told Danny, and then wolfsbane when he told his friends? Wolfsbane, why did that feel familiar? Like he should know what it is?

Danny headed back to his locker to find another note.

wHY dId jaCKSon Ask you 2

WAtcH stiLeS n tHE HospITal?

Why did Jackson need him to watch over Stiles that night? Everyone was busy. On the same night. They had carefully scheduled every other night while Stiles was in the hospital. He remembered there being a full moon that night. It was orange. Wolfsbane and a full moon? Now he knew someone was pranking him.

* * *

Afterschool, Danny went up to Jackson and said, "Very funny dude."

Jackson replied, "What?"

Danny said, "The notes, your conversation at lunch, the wolfsbane? Excellent prank. Seriously, I was supposed to believe you and the others were werewolves? Though, you managed to string me along."

Jackson said, "Yeah. It was Stiles' idea. Werewolves are a little out there." Danny swore to God he saw Jackson's right eye twitch. He only did that when he was lying.

Danny went home.

* * *

Danny was doing his homework when he suddenly remembered a number of impossible things. He remembered Scott's eyes flashing gold during a game, Scott's phenomenal lacrosse improvement. The biggest thing was the number of times he had heard Lydia, Stiles, Scott, Allison, and Jackson say the word "Pack".

Danny Mahealani got up, and ran out of the house, telling his mom he was going to see Jackson. He went to the door, where Mrs Whittemore let him in. He ran up to Jackson's room and went in.

Jackson said, "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me anymore."

Danny asked, "Are you a werewolf? Don't lie to me."

Jackson looked nervous and said, "Yes."

Danny said, "So, either you are crazy, or you are actually a werewolf. Can you show me, or is it only a full moon thing?"

Jackson closed his eyes and pulled the wolf out. His eyes glowed golden.

Danny said, "Were you afraid of how I was going to react? Did you think I was going to reject you?"

Jackson said, "I didn't mean to avoid you. Pack is so much more than just being friends. It's more like being family, but more intense."

Danny said, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Jackson said, sheepishly, "Maybe I was afraid of rejection."

Danny, smiling gently, said, "I knew for a while before I came out to you. I was afraid of what you might think. Do you remember what you said in response?"

Jackson said, smiling, "We are friends forever. Nothing will change that."

Danny said, "Can I ask questions?"

Jackson said, "Sure."

Danny said, "Are the Argents werewolves as well?"

Jackson laughed and said, "Werewolf Hunters. But they won't hurt us as long as innocents aren't killed."

Danny asked, "So how exactly are Scott and Allison together?"

Jackson said, "Allison threatened to go Juliet on them. Literally. She told them that if they put Scott down without reason, she would kill herself, and that she would rather be disowned and with Scott, than without him."

Danny said, "They are that close?"

Jackson replied, "Yep."

Danny asked, half- joking, "Any more secrets you've been keeping?"

Jackson got up, walked towards Danny, and kissed him on the lips. Danny kissed back. When they separated, Danny enquired, "How long have you known?"

Jackson said, "A few months. The wolf made… primal urges stronger. I realized I was attracted to you."

Danny said, "Friday night. Pick me up at 7. You're taking me out to dinner."

Jackson said, "It's a date. Are you doing anything Saturday afternoon?"

Danny asked, "No, why?"

Jackson said, "You're coming to Pack Meeting." Danny attempted to say something, but he was cut off by Jackson continuing, "Mates… I mean boyfriends are welcome. Allison comes, and she's human. The bite is entirely optional."

Danny said, "I'll be there."

The Jackson said, "You are now officially expected to sit with us at lunch."

Danny grinned. It was nice to have Jackson back.

* * *

**Next up, I think, will be triple date night. That's the plan, anyway. I hope it takes place.**


	7. Date Night

**Date night! Yay!**

* * *

Stiles put the doors on his jeep for tonight (He left them off usually, because, hey, he was just about the only one without a sports car. And what fun is a jeep if it had doors?). He was dressed up (but not too much). He drove over to The Martin residence. Lydia came out in a red sundress and high heels.

Stiles got out of the jeep, walked around to the other side, and said cheesily, "Your Chariot awaits, my princess."

Lydia eyebrows rose. She asked as she entered the car, "Princess? Does that make you my prince?"

Stiles said after he shut Lydia's door and got in himself, "No, I'm a mere pauper compared to you. But my father is Sheriff, which the equivalent position in Medieval Europe would have been a nobleman and…"

Lydia said, "You're babbling. What's the plan for the evening?"

Stiles said as he started driving, "We are going to a nice restaurant, then um… I thought we would watch a movie at my place. I would take you to the movies, but I was sort of banned for life a couple years ago. It's a long story involving Mentos, Coke, a pack of chewing gum, a toothpick, and a parrot named Fred."

Lydia said, "You know what, I don't even want to know. What movie are we watching?"

Stiles said, "I have a decent collection of movies, but I thought The Notebook would be a good movie to rent."

Lydia raised her eyebrows. She said, "You spoke to Jackson about what you should do?"

Stiles shrugged and said, "I'm on speaking terms with your gay ex-boyfriend. Of course I'm going to ask him about what to do for date night."

Lydia laughed. Stiles said, "You do realize that when Jackson and Danny come out as a couple, you are going to be Miss Beardy?"

Lydia retorted playfully, "Then they'll see me with you and they'll think that I am chronically a beard."

Stiles mock pouted and said. "Hardy har har. Mock the guy who waited 7 years for you. "

Lydia said, "I'm worth the wait."

Stiles said, "Would you have realized it earlier if I had nearly died, say, a year ago?"

Lydia said, "Probably not. We needed the pack for me to actually care about you. I had to actually spend time with you before I saw past the annoying over talkative kid, into the kind, loyal, brave, and honest man sitting beside me."

* * *

Jackson was nervous. This was his first date with Danny. So far, only the Pack and his parents knew. Oh, and he guessed the Mahealanis knew as well. Danny generally told them about his boyfriends.

Jackson's adopted parents took it well. His mother had long since realized things were going nowhere with Lydia. He briefly considered "coming out of the forest" at the same time, but decided against it. Unlike Sheriff Stilinski, his parents were actually safer not knowing.

Jackson drove over to Danny's house. Danny was waiting for him. He got in and they drove to a pizza place that Danny had suggested. Jackson was slightly confused by the selection, but went along with it. Afterwards, they were going to see Magic Mike with Danny's fake ID.

When they got to the restaurant, Danny asked, "Have you realized why we are here yet?"

Jackson shook his head as they entered. He looked around. It was something familiar. He had been there before. As the new couple sat down, Jackson remembered.

_Jackson was so excited. Mommy and Daddy had taken him out for pizza a week before Kindergarten._

_On the way to the table_, _Jackson saw another little boy about his age. The little boy said, "Hello. I'm Danny. I'm about to start Kindergarten."_

_Jackson said, "So am I. I'm Jackson."_

_Danny said, "We are going to be best friends." Jackson was a little intimidated by how forward Danny was, but said, "Sure."_

Jackson asked, "How did you remember?"

Danny said, "I remember lots of things. I'm not quite sure, but I think it was love at first sight, or as close to it as a 5 year old can be. "

Jackson laughed.

* * *

Scott went to pick up Allison. Scott felt something. It was oddly like someone had violated his personal space. He ignored the feeling, and went to ring the doorbell.

Mr Argent answered the door. Despite appearances, he felt mixed about his daughter's relationship. He wasn't comfortable with her dating a werewolf, but Scott was a good kid. Sure, he had dream/nightmares about werewolf grandchildren, but Scott had only ever shown Allison devotion and respect.

Scott got that feeling again. He then tackled Mr Argent to the ground as an arrow was fired into the house. Scott got up and shut the door. He said, "Do you know who might be trying to kill you? Or were they trying to kill me?"

Mr Argent said, "Could be hunter extremists. They aren't happy about the treaty. Maybe some werewolves." He looked the window and saw who it was. He then said, "Damn. Did not see that coming."

Scott asked, "Who is it?"

Mr Argent said, "My ex-girlfriend."

Scott said, "You've been married for, what 20 years? How do you have an angry ex?"

Mr Argent said seriously, "Never piss off an Amazon. I dated a supernatural woman in high school. This is how that turned out."

Scott said, "Amazon. Woman warriors, Greek?"

Mr Argent said, "Studying up on mythology?"

Scott said, "Once you accept werewolves, you sort of have to read up on other myths. I'm working my way through Greco-Roman mythology now."

Mr Argent said, "What most myths don't mention is their above human strength, their dangerous temper, their tendency to only have girls, and they live a long time."

The power was cut. Allison came down stairs as her mother entered the entryway.

Mrs Argent asked, "What's going on, dear?"

Mr Argent said, "Artemis is back."

Allison asked, "Who's Artemis?"

Scott said, "Your dad's crazy ex-girlfriend from high school who happens to be a super powerful warrior."

Mr Argent said, "Not a bad summation of what's going on."

Scott said, "I'll go out and fight her."

Mr Argent thought briefly. He said, "No. Her strength is greater than yours. She can kill you. And for some reason, I do not see Derek letting me live if I let you die."

Allison thought about who to call. Derek had said he was going to take Isaac to bowling, and he would leave his phone off. Lydia and Stiles were on their first date, as were Danny and Jackson. No one had their phone on.

Allison said, "No back up from the Pack. Everyone has phoneless plans."

Mrs Argent had left during the conversation, and came back bearing guns, big guns.

* * *

Lydia and Stiles were having a wonderful dinner. But Lydia noticed Stiles was distracted. She asked, "What's wrong, Stiles?"

Stiles said, "I feel like I forgot something. And not anything date related, either. "

Lydia said, "You'll probably remember what it is halfway through the movie."

Stiles smiled and said, "Probably."

Lydia then reached over and wiped off a small amount of food from Stiles' cheek. He blushed slightly at the contact.

They ate dessert and left to go watch Lydia's favourite movie at Stiles' house.

* * *

Derek didn't really like bowling. He was ok at it, but it was kind of boring to him. The only reason he had brought Isaac bowling was because he couldn't think of anything else to do with a teenager that the rest of the pack wasn't doing with their mates. So, bowling it was.

Derek wanted to show Isaac what normal families do. He wanted to see that boy smile. Isaac hadn't smiled in Derek's presence once. Not a smile that counted. When he did smile, it didn't reach his eyes. Even his smile was filled with fear.

He saw Isaac wince when he got a gutter ball, like he expected pain for failure. Derek got up and said, "Don't be so nervous. This isn't a competition, it isn't life or death. Just enjoy yourself. Let me show you how to bowl."

Derek then demonstrated how to throw the bowl down the alley. He then purposefully threw a gutter ball. He said, "Oops. I may be a bit rusty." Derek then was thankful Isaac could not tell truth from lies yet.

Isaac smiled weakly, but again, it didn't reach his eyes. Derek felt angry. Not at Isaac, no for him he just felt sad. Derek was angry for anyone treating a child that badly. Yes, his feelings may have been intensified by Isaac being Pack, but Derek was pretty sure he would have literally torn up Mr Lahey for doing that to his own blood.

Worst of all, Derek was starting to suspect even worse things than the metal box had taken place.

If Derek hadn't been so worried about his newest pack member, he would have realized Scott and Allison's situation with his Alpha abilities.

* * *

Jackson and Danny were having a great time. After they left the movie theatre, they had to walk through an alley to get to the car. They were holding hands. A couple of drunken guys tried to block the path. One of the guys said, "Hey, Fags, get your pansy asses over here." Danny appeared to be ignoring them. Jackson was getting angry.

Danny attempted to walk around them. One punched Danny in the face.

Jackson shifted. He said, "You want to run far, far away." The drunken bigots fled the alley, saying something about demons. Jackson shifted back.

Danny asked, "Didn't you just risk exposing yourself?"

Jackson said, "They either won't remember, or won't believe their memories. Are you ok?"

Danny said, "Yeah. Not the first time I've been assaulted for being gay."

Jackson said, "Don't tell me I missed injuries on you, too."

Danny laughed and said, "I hid them better than Isaac. I didn't want people to start an honor guard for me or anything. And the punch wasn't hard enough to bruise. I'll be fine."

Jackson didn't like that answer, but he let it slide.

* * *

At the Argent house, things were not going well. Artemis was effectively preventing anyone from getting close enough to a window to shoot at her.

Mr Argent said, after several hours, "Scott, I want you to do something for me."

Scott nodded his head, indicating he was listening. Mr Argent said, "I want you to connect with Derek. It's a Beta's ability to contact the Alpha psychically."

Scott asked angrily, "Why didn't you tell me this hours ago?"

Mr Argent said, guiltily, "I thought the less you knew the better."

Allison said angrily and with a tone of finality that made Victoria Argent's hear swell with pride, "We will discuss this later. Scott, do what my father says."

Scott closed his eyes and focused on Derek's smell. It was the only think about Derek that Scott associated only with Derek. Then, it was like He could feel Derek being close by.

Scott thought _HELP. CRAZY AMAZON TRYING TO KILL US AT ARGENTS._

* * *

Derek and Isaac were just about done bowling when Derek nearly fell over from Scott yelling in his head. He didn't know how, but he knew he needed to get to the Argents. He said, "Isaac, Scott's in trouble. We've got to go."

Isaac simply nodded his head. As they were walking quickly to the car, Derek felt for the presence of the pack, focused on all of them, and thought, _Scott and Allison in trouble. Get to Argents ASAP._

He drove off with Isaac as quickly as he could.

* * *

Jackson was driving Danny home when he heard Derek's voice in his head. It mildly freaked him out, but he listened to it. He said, "I can't explain, but Scott's in trouble. We are heading to Allison's."

Danny asked, "Is this weird werewolfy stuff?"

Jackson said, "New weird werewolfy stuff."

Danny thought to himself _what have you gotten yourself into, Jackson?_

* * *

Stiles was driving Lydia home when they both heard Derek's summons. They looked at each other and said, "You heard that, right?"

Stiles quickly adjusted his route to get to the Argents.

* * *

Scott heard the pack summons.

Allison said, "How did I just hear Derek's voice in my head?"

Mr Argent said calmly, "You're a Gamma wolf, a human member who has bonded with the entire pack. You dog piled with them, didn't you?"

Allison said, "Repeatedly."

Scott said, "They'll be here soon."

After a few minutes, Scott heard Derek's howl. That meant he was close. Scott howled back. He heard Stiles' and Lydia's together, and Jackson's coming from another direction.

* * *

As Derek got closer, he had the feeling that his personal space had been violated, which was really weird, because he never had personal space issues, ever. Werewolves are too tactile about their affection for them to have personal space issues.

Derek could see Isaac getting uncomfortable. He felt the violation of personal space, too, which affected him worse because of his personal space issues.

Derek turned a corner and saw her. Suddenly, he knew why Scott had said "crazy Amazon".

Derek said, "Isaac, I need you to stay here. I haven't trained you yet."

Isaac just nodded his head.

Derek got out of the car. He called out the full wolf, the Alpha. He hadn't used that form around the Pack because no one (except Isaac) had good memories of that beast.

From the other direction came Jackson and Stiles and Lydia. They all felt that violation of their space. Stiles and Lydia realized what it was, something was in the Pack's territory: that lady was not human. Jackson said to Danny, "Stay here." Danny was in no mood to argue. That lady was scary.

She was nearly 6' 8", had olive skin, aquamarine eyes, wild and long curly black hair, and had a Roman nose.

Scott came running out of the Argents house, already wolfed out. Jackson, Lydia, and Stiles shifted and ran towards the behemoth woman. Derek went bounding towards her in his full Alpha form.

The five of them pounced at her from different angles. She threw them all off with her bow. She said, "Do you realize who you are protecting? Chris Argent is…"

Derek shifted back to his Beta form and interrupted, "my ally and more importantly lives in my town." He jumped again, this time grabbing the bow.

Stiles jumped on her back, trying to confuse her. Lydia tried to scratch at her face. Scott then ran and tackled her to the ground, partially crushing Stiles. Jackson helped hold her down.

Artemis said, "Kill me. It will be an honor to die fighting so many werewolves."

Derek said, "No. We do not kill. Get out of my town. Tell everyone who will listen, Hale Pack is back, and Beacon Hills is off limits to any supernatural being who means harm to a human here."

Artemis was scared by the absoluteness of that statement. She had heard of the power the Hale Pack once had. The wolves released her, but kept her bow.

Derek said, "You will leave this town unarmed, as anyone who plans on entering will be."

Artemis knew she was outmatched. 5 werewolves and a family of hunters working together? To face that would be pure insanity.

So Artemis ran. She ran for days.

* * *

Chris Argent came out and said, "I would like to renegotiate the terms of our treaty. Maybe reconfigure it into an alliance."

Derek said, "How about Sunday?"

Chris said, "Sunday afternoon would be good."

Derek said, "How about we invite the Sheriff to act as an arbiter."

Chris said, "I'm ok with a third party arbiter."

* * *

**Date night didn't quite go as planned. What do you expect? **

**Next up, Pack meeting and more Isaac.**


	8. A Pack Meeting

**Orionastro: Funny. Paradise is very boring.**

* * *

Danny was nervous. He almost felt like he was walking in to the lion's den. 5 werewolves and a girl who came from a long line of Hunters was enough to intimidate anyone. Even if he had known most of these people for years, he felt dangerously outmatched.

As soon as he got out of his car, Jackson said, "Dude, chill out. We don't eat people."

Danny said coolly, "I'm fine, man. What makes you think I'm nervous?"

Jackson replied, "Lying to a werewolf is virtually impossible, dude. And you reek of fear."

Danny thought _how am I supposed to control my emotions? They can sense everything._

Danny saw Derek and Isaac running towards them shirtless. Isaac looked exhausted and his pants and shoes were muddy.

After they approached, Derek said, "I just took him for his examination run." Jackson looked slightly confused, but said nothing.

Then Derek said, "He did even better than you, Jackson."

Jackson, catching on to it, said, "Wow, that's really impressive."

Lydia, Scott, Allison, and Stiles came shortly after that. Isaac looked strongly like he wanted to pass out.

Derek said, "I think we need to start with a discussion. We have to approve a new pack member."

Jackson said, "What? Mates don't count for that."

Derek said trying to hide a smirk, "I said all new members. Isaac, what so you think?"

Isaac said nervously, "Danny's a-a n-nice enough guy. L-let him join the P-Pack."

Derek said, "Allison?"

Allison said, "Liaison no."

Derek continued, "Jackson?"

Jackson said, exasperatedly, "Yes. He's my ma-I mean boyfriend."

Derek said, "Scott?"

Scott said, "Jackson's filled his invite quota, so no."

Derek enquired, "Stiles?"

Stiles said, "I'm with Scott. No."

Derek asked, "Lydia?"

Lydia said, "Jackson will be pissy if Danny doesn't get in, so yes."

Derek said, "There seems to be a tie. Hmm. I say no."

Danny said nervously, "And since I'm not in the Pack?"

Derek said seriously, "We are going to half to kill you." Then he shifted.

A look of pure terror crossed over Jackson's, Danny's and Isaac's faces. Derek was silent for a moment, and then he started laughing. He was laughing loudly.

The Pack was stunned, and then joined in the laughter, except Jackson and Isaac. Jackson said, "You've decided to develop a sense of humor? And prank me first. You were all in on this, weren't you?" Jackson puffed angrily. Danny breathed a sigh of relief.

Derek said, "It was Stiles' idea."

Jackson retorted, "Good rule of thumb, if it's not life or death, Stiles' idea is a bad."

Derek chuckled. Isaac still looked dead tired. Derek said, "Isaac, you want to go lay down for a while? I know I got you up early and then ran you pretty hard. There's a bed to the right of the door."

Isaac said, "Th-thanks." Isaac tiredly went up to Hale House, went inside, and laid down.

Derek wrote on his phone _we are going to do pack bonding as soon as he falls asleep._

Danny's face indicated he was confused. Jackson wrote on his phone, _think friendly sleeping dog pile. It sounds weird, but it is nice._

Allison nodded her head in agreement.

They sat in a slightly unusual silence for several moments. The werewolves then all got up. Derek mouthed, he's asleep.

The group quietly snuck towards the Hale House, not wanting to startle Isaac awake. They got inside. Isaac was laying in the center of the king sized mattress, balled up tightly. He was only in his underpants.

Danny then realized everyone was stripping to their bare basics. Danny hesitantly followed suit. Lydia was the first to lie down, to Isaac's left. Stiles went behind her. Derek took Isaac's right side. Allison and Scott took the end of the bed. Jackson motioned for Danny to lie down at the head of the mattress. Danny laid on the inside, at Jackson's silent insistence.

Danny felt awkward for the first few minutes. He then found the warmth of the bodies to be calming. He drifted to sleep.

* * *

Isaac woke up and felt comfortably warm. He had a feeling he didn't recognize. It was like… he wasn't going to be hurt. Is this what safe felt like?

He then realized that other people's body parts were pressing against him. He still felt safe, but at the same time, he was mildly scared. He didn't like to be confined.

Isaac stayed put, even though scared, he was more afraid of upsetting the others. He was afraid they might realize how useless he was.

* * *

Danny woke up at almost the same time as Isaac. He briefly wondered where he was, and then he remembered.

He felt Jackson halfway on top of him, several heads resting on his body, as were a pair of feet. The pair of feet was the confusing part. Someone moved around a lot.

Danny felt extremely chill. He felt connected to the Pack suddenly. He knew, no matter what, they would have his back.

Danny decided to get up. It was a nice moment, but even in his dog pile induced calmness, he was awkward about being next to 4 guys and 2 girls.

He got up as non-disruptively as possible, which was still pretty disruptive. But those werewolves slept like logs.

Danny found his clothes, got dressed, and went outside.

* * *

After a few minutes, Isaac came out as well.

Danny asked, "How are you doing?"

Isaac said quietly, "F-fine."

Danny said, "How do you feel from the dog pile?"

Isaac responded, "Safe, I-I think."

Danny couldn't help but frown at that statement. The idea Isaac wasn't sure is what he felt was safe profoundly disturbed Danny.

Danny said, "I feel safe, too, and maybe a little calm."

Isaac said, "I th-think I might feel a little calm t-too."

Danny then leaned against Isaac. He was careful not to put any weight on Isaac. He just barely was touching Isaac's body.

Isaac liked the contact with Danny. It was comforting without being confining.

Danny could tell Isaac was comfortable with the contact, so he maintained it, even though it was a strenuous position to hold.

* * *

Half an hour later, the rest of the pack got up and got dressed. As he exited the "house", Derek saw Isaac allowing Danny to touch him, even if it was barely contact. Derek felt like Isaac might be able to be ok eventually.

* * *

It was real training time. Stiles and Derek went first. Derek won, but not by much.

Afterwards was Lydia and Scott. Then it was Jackson and Isaac.

Isaac asked, afraid he would sound dumb, "H-how exactly d-do I tra-transform?"

Derek asked, gently, "You haven't shifted once on accident?"

Isaac shook his head. Derek looked at the rest of the pack and said, "I know I promised, but I need to do it just this once."

Stiles said, "I think with warning is good enough."

Derek then focused. He drew his Pack's wolves out into the open. The whole pack shifted. Scott and Jackson had glowing gold eyes, Stiles had glowing blue, and Lydia's were bright violet. Isaac's eyes flashed amber before turning pitch black.

Anyone could feel that something deeply wrong with those eyes. They were empty, feral. It was more primitive then even the wolf.

Allison had her bow up in a second. The Betas surrounded Isaac's feral form.

Danny was frozen where he was standing. That thing scared him. How could that be within Isaac?

Derek then forced everyone to return to their human forms. Isaac said, "I'm even useless as a werewolf," before he ran off.

Derek asked Lydia, "Any Theory of what just happened?"

Stiles interrupted, "The wolf is a modified form of the fight-or-flight response. Heavily weighted towards the fight. I know Isaac had to supress his fight response…"

Lydia continued, "And if he supressed it well enough, the wolf wouldn't be able to come out."

Stiles continued, "But feelings like that don't go away, they are supressed. When you pulled out the wolf, you pulled out pain, fury, hate. It overwhelmed the logical part of his brain. He descended into a purely animal state."

Derek went full Alpha to go after him.

He caught up with his scared Beta after a few minutes. He shifted back to human and said, "Isaac, you're not useless."

Isaac said, "I can't even shift properly."

Derek said, "You have stuff to deal with before you can control the wolf. The only person to blame is your father. You are part of my Pack, my family. No matter what, I will never think you are useless."

Derek led Isaac back to Hale House. Derek thought Isaac would get through this. But he didn't know what to do about the next full moon.

* * *

The rest of the meeting well enough. Isaac looked like he considered himself even less of the group. Derek thought _one step forward, two steps back._

Just before he dismissed the pack, Derek asked, "Danny, do you want the bite?"

Danny said, "The power seems cool and all, but honestly, I have to deal with enough bigots who want to beat me. I don't want to add any who want to kill me, as well."

Derek said, "I accept your decision. You may change it at any time."

The Pack went home. Scott forgot what Monday was.

* * *

**I wonder what Monday is? **

**I didn't mean for Isaac to take over the story. I plan on getting back to more Stiles, and more other people side stories.**

**Review Question: What do you think the Sheriff's first name should be, for the sake of this story?**


	9. Breaking Down

**The Sheriff's name is Stanley "Stan" Stilinski. That's my decision, I'm sticking to it.**

* * *

Sunday Evening

Chris said, "I think that just about wraps up the formation of the treaty."

Stan said, "I believe so." His eyes widened suddenly. "I just acted as a third party arbiter to a peace treaty of two vigilante groups."

Derek said, "Were not vigilantes if the actions take place outside of the law."

Chris said, "I should be heading home." He didn't really like be so close to Derek. He tried to put aside his prejudices, but it was hard to do that.

Derek said, "Wait. I want you to be on high alert on Wedensday. I have a wolf that has no control whatsoever."

Chris was shocked. Derek was willing to inform the Argents of potential rabid wolves?

Chris said, "Thank you for being willing to inform me. Allison had already informed me of the situation. If you don't mind me asking, what are you planning on doing to prevent anyone from getting hurt?"

Derek said, pained, "I don't know. I can't bring myself to chain him up. I can't lock him in a confined space. I have no idea what to do."

Chris said, gently, "I think I have a wolfsbane mixture designed to impede the transformation, even on the full moon. I'm not sure how long my supply will last, but it's the only thing I can think of."

Derek said, "Thank you."

Chris nodded his head and the wolf, the hunter, and the peacekeeper went their separate ways.

* * *

Monday

As soon as Jackson entered his first block class, he realized something was wrong. Stiles wasn't talking half as much as normal.

He also seemed to be avoiding everyone, especially the Pack. But he was trying to make it look like he wasn't avoiding them. Jackson was paying closer attention because he was determined never to miss any warning signs for any of his friends again.

Jackson went and found him during lunch. Jackson asked, "What's up with you, man?"

Stiles yelled, "Leave me alone, Whittemore. I don't want to deal with you today!" He then stormed off.

Stiles never called him Whittemore anymore. It was too cold for Pack.

Jackson went to Scott and said, "Do you know what Stiles' problem is today?"

Scott thought for a second and then his eyes went wide. "What's today's date?"

Jackson responded, "March 27th."

Scott said, "Oh, God. I'm a terrible friend." Scott then started walking to find Stiles.

Jackson followed and asked, "Why is today's date important?"

Scott said, "Today is the day Stiles' mom died."

They found Stiles in the Library.

Scott said, "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. Do you want to skip the rest of the day?"

Stiles said angrily, "What's the point? We've been here half the day. Why bother leaving now?"

Jackson then grabbed Stiles in a bear hug and said, "You don't have to deal with it alone."

Stiles then began to cry. He knew it was stupid, she had died 8 years ago. But the death felt fresh after getting to see her while comatose.

Scott hugged Stiles from the other side.

* * *

Danny was a little scared of Isaac now. He had seen a monster within him, so much more of a monster than the others.

But he realized that the monster was probably already there, locked up deep within Isaac's mind/soul (Danny couldn't really decide on which one.), and the bite just gave it form. Danny was disturbed by that thought. Could a monster like that be in everyone? Something that wanted to harm others, kill others?

Danny went up to Isaac and said, "Hey, Izzy."

Isaac responded, "N-no one has ev-ever called me that."

Danny said, "Sorry, it just sorta came out."

Isaac smiled ever so slightly, though Danny could see what Derek had said about it not reaching his eyes, "I th-think I like it."

Danny did his ever so slight lean against Isaac and said, "So, Izzy, did you understand the chemistry homework?"

Izzy said, "I th-think so. Did you?"

Danny said, "No, mind explaining number 13 to me?"

Danny understood the homework, but Izzy needed self-confidence. It was something small, but helping another person with their homework could be the first step.

* * *

When Stiles got home, his father was there. He looked concerned. He said, "I didn't get a call today. I was worried."

Stiles smiled slightly and said, "Scott forgot to suggest skipping like he had for the past 7 years. With everything that happened this year, Scott just forgot. Jackson realized something was wrong. I can't believe it, Jackson pays attention to someone else, everyone else, it seems."

Then Stiles said, "What's in your hand?"

His father said, "Um… it's a woman's phone number. She wanted to go on a date, but I turned her down. She said if I changed my mind, to call her."

Stiles said, "Mommy wanted me to get you into some sort of a relationship. You deserve to be happy, too."

The sheriff asked, "Is there anything you haven't told about your conversation with your mother?"

Stiles said, "She forgave me for what happened with Peter and then there was an inconsequential statement about Batman, Robin, and Superman. But now, I think we've covered all of it."

The sheriff decided to call the woman, Marion Cooper.

The phone was answered with, "Hello, this is Marion. May I ask whose calling?"

The sheriff replied, "Its Stan Stilinski. I wanted to take you up on that offer. How about Friday night?"

Marion replied, "Sure, meet me at Mario's at 7?"

The Sheriff replied, "Sounds great. See you soon. Bye."

Marion responded, "Talk to you later. Bye."

Then the conversation ended.

Stiles said, "She has a young son."

Sheriff Stilinski asked, "How do you know that?"

Stiles said, "I heard him faintly in the background. Can't tell how old, but not older than 6."

Stan asked earnestly, "Do you think that's a problem?"

Stiles responded, "For you, it would be the pot calling the kettle black. For me, definite turn off."

The sheriff couldn't help but laugh at that.

* * *

**So, full moon up next. Followed by Sheriff's date.**


	10. The Pieces

Chris Argent waited for his daughter to come home. It was 5 am, and the full moon should have been over. Then Allison came in. She was shaking and she looked like she was about to throw up.

Chris Argent asked, making huge assumptions, "Who went feral last night?"

Allison responded, "Huh? Oh um, well Isaac s-sort of." She definitely looked green.

Chris said, "The wolfsbane mixture didn't work?"

Allison said, "It stopped his body, but not his mind."

Chris's eyes went wide. He inquired, "Are you ok?"

Allison said, not really answering the question, "It was scarier that he didn't change. When he went wild as a wolf, he didn't really look human. A human is disturbing when it goes so feral. Danny and I restrained him all night."

Allison's father said, "The drug is a temporary solution. Isaac's mind needs to be put back together."

Allison said, "What if we can't?"

Mr Argent said gently, "Derek will find a way." He then gently hugged her.

Allison then went to get an hour of sleep before school.

* * *

Danny was having a harder time than Allison dealing with what he had seen. How could quiet, unobtrusive Izzy have something so violent within him? And he had no one to talk to about it. Jackson hadn't seen it. What could Danny possibly do for someone so very broken?

Danny was dead tired when he got to school. He was thankful it was only once a month he had to stay up so late. And by late, he meant go at least 36 hours without sleep.

Allison definitely looked less tired than Danny felt. He briefly wondered if they had a supernatural creature in their lineage. He decided that he should never actually ask, because that would most likely result in him being assaulted for insulted the Argent Clan.

He went up to her and asked, "How are you?"

Allison responded, "Dead tired and scared. How about you?"

Danny replied, "About the same. I'm gonna go talk to Isaac. Talk to you later, kay?"

Allison nodded her head as he headed off.

He found Izzy at his locker. Danny said, "Hey Izzy."

Isaac was surprised that Danny wanted to talk to him. He said, "He-hey Danny. Um… I'm sorry for ev-everything l-last night."

Danny shrugged his shoulders and said, "You weren't yourself. Don't worry about it." Danny was definitely happy Derek hadn't taught Isaac how to detect lies. The Pack lied to him pretty frequently, trying to improve his self-esteem.

Isaac said, "But I bit you, and scratched you."

That was all Jackson heard from around the corner before becoming infuriated. To him, it sounded like they had wild, kinky sex under the light of the full moon, while Isaac was drugged up. Danny had no excuse.

Danny then caught up with Jackson and said, "Hey, man." Jackson wasn't quite ready to come out, so there relationship was a secret.

Jackson said angrily, "Hey."

Danny said, "Man, I was up all night. Don't be pissy with me. Your… 'period' was yesterday. Consider this my pissy day."

Jackson said, rolling his eyes, "I'm sure you were up all night, with 'Izzy'. If you told me you wanted something kinkier, I would've obliged."

Danny was officially confused. He said, "What? I spent all night holding down a rabid boy."

Jackson said, "Oh, he was rabid. That good?"

Danny said, beginning to get what Jackson was saying, "The drug didn't work all the way. Isaac was human, but not in the head. He bit and scratched me and Allison while you guys were out running. Ask Allison if you don't trust me."

Jackson looked apologetic. He then said, "It wasn't a huge leap. You and Isaac seem to be getting close. He lets you touch him and you have a pet name for him."

Danny laughed and said, "I figured out a way that he lets me touch him. You just have to lean against him without putting weight on him. It's actually quite difficult. And he likes to be called Izzy. He isn't strong enough to tell people what to call him, but he told me he liked it, so I call him that."

Jackson said, "I'm sorry for making assumptions and not trusting you, again."

Danny, not exactly thinking clearly due to him being at hour 25 of being awake, leaned in and kissed Jackson.

Jackson was surprised by the kiss, but he kissed back.

Mr Harris walked by and said, "You know school policy on PDA, boys."

The couple then broke the kiss, and blushed. Around 2 dozen people had seen the kiss. Danny said, "Sorry for dragging you out of the closet."

Jackson responded, "It was more enjoyable that way."

* * *

Derek knew what he had to do. He didn't like it, but it was his only really option. He had to do it to save the pack.

He dialled the number he found in the phone book.

"Hello, you have reached the office of Dr Simmons. How may I help you today?"

Derek responded, "I need to speak with the good doctor. Tell her Derek Hale is on the line."

The receptionist said, "She is currently with a patient. Do you want to be put on hold, or have her call back later?"

Derek said, "Hold, please."

He was then put on hold. He waited for a few minutes, and then heard, "Derek is that really you?"

Derek said, "Yes, Clarissa. It's me."

Clarissa said, "I heard through the grape vine Hale Pack is back."

Derek said, "Yes, it is and aligned with the Argents."

Clarissa said, "I can't be your therapist. It would be a violation of ethics. You'll have to take your grief counselling elsewhere. I know a few good…"

Derek interrupted, "It's not for me. I have a kid in the new Pack that needs help."

Clarissa said, "How bad, and why must it be me?"

Derek said, "You know about werewolves and other things. And it's bad. He's more shut down than I was immediately after the fire."

Clarissa said, "I'm booked for at least 3 weeks."

Derek said, "I should have guardianship by then."

Clarissa said, "You're getting guardianship? God almighty, this kid must be bad."

Derek replied, "He's a good kid. Just horribly abused."

Clarissa said, "How about April 20th. I have a couple hours available that day."

Derek said, "Can he have them all?"

Clarissa asked, "Why is it so desperately important?"

Derek said, "His human and wolf are 2 different entities. He only shifts when I or the moon forces him, and when he does, he is no longer home."

Clarissa said, "I'll reorganize my schedule. I think I can give him an afternoon. I'll try as soon as possible, only because of the immediate danger, and not because of who you are."

Derek said, "Of course. Laura would have hated it if you gave anyone special treatment."

Clarissa said, "I have another appointment to get to. I'll speak to you soon."

He quickly gave her his number, and she hung up.

* * *

**Oddly, I have nothing to say about the story right now. **

**Next up, The Sheriff goes on a date. **


	11. Friday Night

**Hey loyal fans. Sorry for the delay. This chapter was pain in the butt to write. I'll try better next time. No promises.**

* * *

The plan for Friday night was for Stiles, Scott, Jackson, Danny, and Izzy to go out and bowl, eat, and enjoy the night.

Stiles was about to head out when he heard his father on the phone.

Marion said, "I'm going to have to cancel. The babysitter just called, she's got a stomach bug."

The sheriff said, disappointed, "It's ok. We'll go out another time."

Stiles said, "I'll babysit."

The sheriff said, surprised but happy, "Wait. My son would be willing to babysit. He's 16."

Marion asked, "Are you sure? Just send him over to my house. The address is 729 Chestnut Drive."

Stan said, "Of course. See you in half an hour."

Marion said, "See ya." She then hung up.

Mr Stilinski then asked, "Are you sure about this? Weren't you supposed to go out with the guys tonight?"

Stiles said, "Yeah, but that's not important. Actually, this is better. We were going to have an odd number, which would make bowling more difficult. Anyways, family comes first. I've got to go babysit. Have fun tonight."

Mr Stilinski was proud of his son. He was willing to do something for his father instead of spending time with his friends.

Stiles got in his baby blue Jeep and called Scott.

Scott said, "What's up, Stiles?"

Stiles said, "I can't come tonight. I'm babysitting for my dad's date."

Scott said, "Dude? You were looking forward to this."

Stiles said, "I know. But family comes first. Mom wanted him in a relationship. I'm going to help in any way I can."

Scott said, "Still not convinced you spoke to your mother."

Stiles said, incredulously, "We are werewolves and you doubt the ability to talk from beyond the grave? Seriously, that's just arbitrary scepticism."

Scott said, "Now is all there is. I believe this because if not, we would have a very pissed off werewolf Alpha ghost after us right now."

Stiles shook his head and said, "I'm waiting for the day we run into a ghost."

Scott responded, "I'll pay you 20 bucks on that day."

Stiles replied, "I a wait that day. I've gotta go. See you tomorrow."

Scott replied, "Bye."

Stiles pulled up to the Cooper residence. It was a small house, one story, brick, probably 50 years old, in relatively good condition, white shutters, grey roof, the yard needed mowing but not badly, several trees that might be good for climbing, the yard looked like it was more play area than garden, wooden door with small stained glass piece in the top.

Stiles walked up and rang the doorbell. A 5' 3" early 40s woman with dark brown hair, tan-ish skin, and brown eyes in a nice, but not overdone green dress opened the door.

Stiles said, "Hello, I'm Stiles Stilinski. I've come to babysit your son."

Mrs Cooper said, "Come in. COOPER, COME MEET THE BABYSITTER!"

A curly redhead with green eyes and freckles came running in. He was about 3 and ½ feet tall, which put him most likely at 5, maybe 6, he was called Cooper, so he probably had a terrible first name unless Marion had reverted to her maiden name, in which case he was named for her maiden name, no father in the picture, was it divorce or dead?

Stiles said to Cooper, "I'm no babysitter. Sitting on babies is weird. I'm Stiles. I just came to play with you. Do you want to play?"

Cooper giggled at the joke and said, "Yes, Let's play, Stiles!"

Stiles said, "I'll come play in one second. Let me talk to Mommy for a minute."

Cooper said, "Okay. I'll go get my toys!"

Mrs Cooper said, "You're good with kids."

Stiles said, "Any instructions?"

Marion replied, "Bed at 9, no later. He hasn't eaten; he'll probably get hungry in about half an hour. I left money for pizza on the counter. Bath by 8; make sure he actually gets in. You don't have to watch him in the tub, just listen for him splashing. I should be back by 11. We have cookies for dessert, he gets 5. Make sure he brushes his teeth."

Stiles said, "Got it. You go enjoy time with my dad."

Marion Cooper left to go on her first date in 6 years.

* * *

As Stiles was preparing to play with a young kid, the majority of the pack prepared to bowl. Danny wasn't even sure if he could bowl at the same level as three werewolves. Maybe he should suck, so that Izzy could beat him.

The bowling started. Danny wasn't bad, Jackson was ok, and Scott was decent.

Then Izzy went up. He focused, trying not to worry about failure, thinking back to what Derek had told him.

Jackson saw something new, something he hadn't expected. As Isaac prepared to bowl, a look of peace crossed his face. No fear, no stress, nothing. It was the first time they had seen him without stress.

While Scott wasn't as observant as Jackson was, he was better at trusting his senses. He smelled the calm, or at least the lack of fear, coming off of Isaac. He had never not smelled Isaac afraid. He had assumed it was his scent. The fear cleared away, leaving a peace the Pack wasn't sure Isaac could even feel before that moment.

With that peace, Izzy scored a strike.

* * *

Stiles and Cooper (Stiles was still unsure if it was his first or last name) were playing with Legos. Stiles was secretly very excited. He loved Legos. He kept his in the attic. He hadn't had time recently to pull them down (what with people trying to kill him, nearly dying, then catching up on schoolwork, having a girlfriend, and helping with pack stuff). Stiles and Cooper were building a Pyramid. Stiles was going to slowly get him up to being able to build more complex buildings.

They ordered pizza and ate dinner.

* * *

The Sheriff was having a better time than he had had in years. Marion Cooper was a nice woman, with a great attitude.

The Sheriff, were else to take the conversation, asked, "How old is your son?"

Marion said, "Cooper's five."

Stan asked, "Bad first name?"

Marion replied, "Yes. He's Cú Chulainn **(pronounced Cuhullin)** Cooper, by insistence of his father."

Stan asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer, "And his father?"

Mrs Cooper replied, "He died on his way to the hospital trying to see Cooper for the first time."

Stan said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried."

Marion replied, "If anything, you just proved you haven't. You easily could have found out any information you wanted with a police check. Which reminds me, how did you know I had a son? I never mentioned him."

Stan said, "I heard him in the background of our first phone call, when I accepted the date." It was only barely a lie. Stiles had heard it with wolf hearing.

Marion replied, laughingly, "Always Sheriff, aren't you? Noticing the minute details, the ones others would miss. Any other things you noticed?"

Stan said, "Um, well you only recently, as in the last month or so stopped wearing your wedding ring. You are a little nervous, so probably your first date in a while. Um, nothing else really."

Marion sat, a little surprised. She then said after a minute, "Not bad. I may have spoken to some girlfriends about you. I know enough to say I'm sorry for all you've been through."

Stan smiled lightly and said, "Thank you."

* * *

Cooper was going to take a bath. Or so he said. Water was most definitely in the tub, but no soap, and more importantly, no little boys. Stiles yelled, "Get in the tub. Use soap. Don't try to fool me."

Cooper made a grumbling noise that Stiles couldn't quite understand due to the splashing of the water. He decided not to try.

Stiles said, "Soap as well!"

Cooper was amazed by Stiles. He was fun, and he could tell what he was doing better than his mommy. Cooper did what he was told because he realized he couldn't get away with anything.

Stiles was very much enjoying his wolf powers tonight. Not only did his wolf enjoy pups (human or wolf, who knew?) but on some level, he was pretty sure Cooper was submitting to him. Younger children tended to do that. They were more in touch with their senses than most adults were. They could sense the animal with in him, know that as long as given the proper respect that it wouldn't hurt it, know that if nice that same animal would protect it. He felt a connection to this kid. He had more than a light suspicion that he would soon be… well that was thinking a bit far ahead for Stiles. What he was sure about was that he was almost as protective of this boy he had known for only a few hours as he was for any member of the pack.

Cooper finished bathing, and so Stiles decided that he would tell him a story in preparation for bed.

* * *

Izzy was unexpectedly good at bowling. Since he had found a fragment of peace, he bowled a perfect game. Jackson's jaw dropped as the bowl was finished. He said, "300, Isaac? You are better than Lydia when she tries."

Izzy said shyly, "I was j-just lucky."

Scott, the second place bowler, said, "I got 4 strikes, those were luck. You got 12 perfect strikes. That is not luck. That is a talent."

Danny, who came in third, asked jokingly, "What other talents do you have hidden away?"

Izzy, looking anxious from all the attention, said, "N-none, I'm not really sp-special."

Jackson, Danny, and Scott said all together, "Yes, you are!" They then looked at each other and laughed.

Danny said, "Pack sync is a bit weird. Especially for me, since I'm not even a wolf."

Izzy thought_ more of a wolf than I'll ever be._

* * *

Stiles tucked Cooper into bed. Cooper asked, "Can you read me a story?"

Stiles said, "I think I'll just tell you a story from my memory."

Cooper said, "Ok. What's it about?"

Stiles said, "Once upon a time, there was a great big forest, where many people resided. Two great friends lived in this forest. They were named… Stan Calling and Genim Bolinski. They didn't believe in things like magic or monsters. Then they met an evil... sorcerer named… Pietro. He was looking for revenge against the family Silver for… making his dogs sick. Well, Stan got in his way, and got cursed to become like a dog."

Cooper giggled and said, "That's a silly curse. He should at least become a wolf. At least that way he will be scary."

Stiles said, "You're right, Stan totally got cursed to become a wolf. The only way to break the curse was to… turn Pietro into a Mountain Ash Tree. So they got together a group of friends: Ally Silver, archer extraordinaire; Jack White, great warrior; and Rick Rain, magical sorcerer. They gathered to do great battle against the Dark Sorcerer Pietro. They managed to stop Pietro, transform him into a tree, and save the forest from his evil magic."

Cooper asked, "Was Stan's curse broken?"

Stiles said, "No, but he used the power of the curse to protect the forest."

Cooper than curled up in bed and said, "Good night, Stiles."

Stiles said, "Good night, little man."

* * *

A while later, Marion came home. She smelled… happy, peaceful, mildly aroused, worn out…MILDLY AROUSED? The sheriff was only mildly on her so, thank God, no sex.

Stiles asked, "How was your evening, Mrs Cooper?"

Marion replied, "Nice. How much do I owe you?"

Stiles said, "Nothing."

Marion said, "I took your Friday night. You deserve some money."

Stiles said, "A) I had a ton of fun with Cooper. I rarely am allowed to be so child-like. B) I'm going to count it as a favour to my father. Which I still probably still owe him any way for, well, a lot of stuff."

Marion said, "Are you sure?"

Stiles said, "Yes, I'm sure. Call me next time you need a babysitter. I loved spending time with Cooper."

With that, Stiles left to go home.

* * *

The following morning, at the Cooper residence, Marion asked, "How did you like Stiles?"

Cooper responded, "He was a funner than Lucy. We played, and ate pizza and then he told me a story that I never heard before about sorcerers and curses and heroes. When can he come back to play?"

Marion responded, "We'll see."

* * *

**What do you think of Marion and Cooper? Another pack meeting up next.**


	12. Pack Time

**So you are forewarned, this chapter is probably the worst so far. The aspects of this chapter are important to my current story plan, but it was a *insert favourite naughty word here* to write. So, sorry, I'll do better next time. Also of note, Updates will be even less frequent now. I'm starting college, no time to write, you know the drill. You have heard the same story from dozens of writers.**

* * *

Danny wasn't really sure what he was doing coming this Saturday. Most of last week's meeting he had just watched the wolves practice. He thought he might be coming for the dog pile, which was definitely weird.

As he pulled up at noon, he saw that Scott and Allison were here enjoying each other's embrace; as were Stiles and Lydia; Jackson was waiting for him; but Derek and Isaac were nowhere to be seen. Derek's car wasn't even there. Derek must be picking up Isaac.

Derek pulled up a few moments later after Jackson had greeted Danny in an intense manner. Danny then remembered that he was surrounded by people who could smell his arousal. Damn it, why did he have to hang with werewolves?

Derek said, "Allison, did you bring the stuff?"

Allison said, "Yes."

Allison went to her car and pulled out a compound bow and some arrows. Allison then said, "Danny, Isaac, your comin' with me."

As they started walking, Isaac asked, "W-why?"

Allison replied, "Derek thought that since Danny isn't a wolf, he should at least be trained to defend himself since he is in the line of fire. And then I suggested you come along until you get your powers under control. We will be starting with archery and then moving on to martial arts."

Danny responded, "Archery I get, but martial arts? There is no way I would manage hand to hand with the supernatural."

Allison replied, "There are martial arts designed to maintain distance. Don't cut yourself short. We are Gamma wolves. We are stronger than normal humans, not near wolf strength, but still stronger. Gammas are rare enough that most supernatural forces don't know they exist."

They got far enough from the others so that a stray arrow would not injury any of the wolves. Allison showed the boys how to shoot the bow.

While the hunter, the broken wolf, and the pretty much human were practicing archery, the others were practice fighting. Their skill levels had finally levelled out, so Derek could actually judge their abilities.

Jackson was easily the strongest of the Betas, but also the slowest and least agile. Scott was weaker, but faster and had decent agility. Stiles was stronger than Scott, just as fast, and had better agility. Lydia was the weakest, but was a little faster than Scott and Stiles, and was most agile. Derek was easily the best at all of them, but only because he was an Alpha.

After they practiced for long enough, Derek called out, "Good job, everyone: time for pack bonding." He then called out for the other three to join them.

* * *

Isaac enjoyed archery. He managed to hit the target (even if it was only the outer edge) the first time, unlike Danny. He also enjoyed the martial arts portion.

The two humans and the werewolf went back and then piled into the bed with the rest of their Pack. Isaac was careful to sleep on the outer edge.

Afterwards, they went back home (term used loosely in Isaac's case).

* * *

The next Monday, Derek awoke early. He got dressed in a suit. He was nervous about what he was doing today; more nervous than when he made the treaty with the Argents, more nervous than facing his Uncle. He walked into the court room.

The custody hearing didn't really take long. It was obvious Derek had the financial resources to care for a teen, he had no criminal record (all charges had been dropped due to lack of evidence), and frankly, the state wanted the boy out of their hands.

Derek Hale was officially the sole legal guardian of Isaac Wendell Lahey.

* * *

When Isaac got out of school, he was prepared to walk home. Then a text came in on his phone.

From: Derek To: Isaac

Im picn u ^ 2day no args

Isaac walked out of the school, very nervous. What did Derek want? Was he in trouble? He was getting kicked out of the pack for being stupid and useless, wasn't he? He should of seen it coming. Actually, he was surprised they dealt with him this long.

Isaac got into the black Camaro. Derek said, "Calm down, Isaac. I've only got good news." He then handed Isaac a piece of paper.

Isaac looked over it and only barely understood most of it. What he got couldn't be right.

Isaac said, very uncertain, "Y-you're my foster par-parent?"

Derek replied stoically, "Legal guardian, which is like a foster parent only permanent. We are going to swing by Mrs Greene's house to pick up your things, and then go to my, I mean our place."

Isaac asked the question no one had ever bothered to, "So, b-back to Hale H-house?"

Derek turned and looked at Isaac like he had grown a second head. "You guys believe I **live **at Hale House?"

Isaac stuttered, "Ye-yes."

Derek laughed. He said, "I have an apartment in town, not far from the school. The bed is only there for pack bonding."

When they got to Mrs Greene's house, Derek got out with Isaac. He spoke to Mrs Greene while Isaac got together his clothes. That was pretty much all he was allowed to bring. He didn't have his prized comic book collection, or the quilt his grandmother had made for him shortly before she died, or his grandfather's war medals. He would never get those things back.

* * *

Mrs Greene said, "You take good care of that boy, you hear?"

Derek responded earnestly, "I will treat him like he is part of my family."

Mrs Greene looked over the paper again. "Derek Hale?"

Derek said, scared of where this might go, "Yes?"

She said, "You know what it's like for him. Maybe you can exorcize each other's demons."

Derek thought, trust an older woman to know exactly what's going on.

Isaac came into the living room. Derek saw the duffle bag full of clothes, smelled a number of the articles, too. He frowned that that was all he had to bring. Derek couldn't wait to see Isaac's face when he saw the surprise.

They got into the Camaro and drove to Derek's apartment. It was in a nice part of town.

They went up to the second floor and walked into the apartment. The living room was sort of bachelor pad-y, rather mismatched furniture, a flat screen TV, and a desk with a laptop on it, several bookshelves full of books, and a PS3.

Derek then led Isaac to his new room. As soon as he opened the door, He was shocked. Most of his stuff was in the room. His comic books were on the bookshelf, taking up 2 shelves. His grandmother's quilt was sitting at the end of his bed. And the war medals were sitting on a desk in the room.

Derek said, "I got everything in a storage facility. I got the stuff which smelled most important. I want you to go through the rest when you're ready."

Isaac had tears in his eyes. He said, "Th-thank you. I thought I had lost this stuff forever."

Derek said, "I know how much it means to have some things."

* * *

**Another chapter done. Isaac has a home now. Next up, I think a shopping trip and a guy's night in. Then I have all my ducks lined in a row for things to start to pick up.**


	13. Family

**How did everyone like the season two finale? I'm a little disappointed we never saw the alpha form of the kanima. But it is about time that Jackson got his shit together and free will back.**

**I would like to issue a special thanks to liferedefined for telling me a better way to indicate scene breaks. All previous chapters have been updated.**

**This chapter is known to cause diabetes by the State of California. You have been warned.**

**Without further ado…**

* * *

The first morning, Derek had intended to get up and make breakfast. He was awakened at 6:15 by the smell of bacon.

Derek was momentarily confused. Then he realized who was in the kitchen. Derek got up, put on some pants (didn't bother with a shirt, never did while at home) and walked to the kitchen. He saw bacon and pancakes, finished, with a pan that looked like it was going to soon be filled with eggs to scramble.

Isaac saw Derek and flinched. Isaac said, more scared than usual, "S-s-sorry f-for wa-waking you u-up."

Derek said, "Why are you making breakfast?"

Isaac said, looking down, "T-to earn m-my k-keep."

Derek growled softly at that statement. Isaac looked like he was prepared to get hit.

Derek then softened, realizing his anger was showing in the wrong way. He asked, "Do you like cooking?"

Isaac replied, still afraid of being hit, "N-not r-r-really."

Derek asked, "Then why are you cooking right now?"

Isaac said, "S-so th-that y-you w-would wa-wake u-up a-and h-have f-food."

Derek said, calmly but firmly, "Look at me." Isaac lifted his head and looked straight at Derek's light brown eyes. Derek continued, "You are family now, proper family. You do not need to 'earn your keep.' I will take care of you. Nothing you can do will make me turn you away. I will never hit you, or hurt you in any way. I will not have you doing all of the housework. I can cook if you don't like to, or we can cook together. But there will be no more getting up early to make breakfast before I get up. Understood?"

Isaac said, "Y-yes, sir."

Derek then said, "Don't call me 'sir'. I'm hardly old enough for that."

Isaac, beginning to relax, said, "Ok."

Derek said, "Unless you're dying for eggs, I think this is plenty."

They sat down to eat in front of the TV as they did the previous evening.

Derek thought of something. "How did you make pancakes? I don't have any mix."

Isaac said, "I m-made th-them from scratch."

Derek gave him an incredulous look. He was more than impressed. This rivaled Stiles' cooking.

* * *

The following Thursday evening, Lydia got a text.

From: Derek To: Lydia

ru bz 2moro nite?

From: Lydia To: Derek

No Y?

From: Derek To: Lydia

cn u tak Isaac shpg aftr skool?

From: Lydia To: Derek

Of corz im brngn Allison ful wardrobe?

From: Derek To: Lydia

Yes Il giv Isaac my crd

Lydia immediately called Allison. Allison answered, "Hey, Lydia. What's up?"

Lydia said, "You're going shopping with me tomorrow after school."

Allison said, "Ok. May I ask why?"

Lydia said, "Derek just requested we take Isaac shopping."

Allison said, "Should we bring Jackson and Danny?"

Lydia said, "Why do you want to bring them?"

Allison said, "Don't you think two gay guys would be well suited to help pick out a wardrobe?"

Lydia said, "Wh… wait, you think he's… no… he can't be."

Allison said, "At least Danny. Because he's fun to shop with and he's pretty much the closest with Isaac."

Lydia considered it and replied, "Ok. But I don't agree with you about the other thing. I have an excellent gaydar, and mine isn't going off."

Allison said, "Whatever. You call Danny, ok?"

Lydia replied, "Ok."

Lydia then called Danny.

Danny said, "What's up, Lydia?"

Lydia said, "Wanna go shopping with me, Allison, and Isaac tomorrow after school?"

Danny replied, "How'd you convince Izzy to come?"

Lydia answered, "Derek is sending me. I wanted Allison to keep me company. She suggested you come."

Danny said, "Sure, I'll go."

* * *

Isaac received a text.

To: Isaac From: Stiles

wanna cum chill w/ me n Scott 2moro nite? u cn spnd d nite.

Isaac walked into the living room and asked, nervously, "C-can I go over to Stiles' tomorrow night?"

Derek said, "Sure, after you go shopping with Lydia."

Isaac was absolutely terrified of the prospect of shopping with Lydia. He stuttered out, "W-why a-am I sh-shopping w-with Ly-lydia?"

Derek said, "Everything you own is several years old and rather worn out. I noticed holes in about half of your shirts. So, yes, you are going shopping with Lydia, only because she will guarantee you get everything you need."

Isaac mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "You don't have to do that for me."

Derek growled and said, "I will take care of you." Derek paused and then told a small lie, "Anyways, your clothes still stink of _him_ and his alcohol. I can hardly stand it."

Derek knew that it was probably not the best path to get Isaac to a healthy place, but framing it as if it was uncomfortable for Derek not to do whatever Derek wanted Isaac to do had a higher chance of meeting little resistance.

Isaac responded, "Ok, D-derek."

Isaac went to text back to Stiles.

To: Stiles From: Isaac

Sur bt Derek says ive 2 go shpg w/ lydia 1st.

Stiles almost responded "I pity u," but decided that Isaac probably didn't want anyone's pity.

To: Isaac From: Stiles

Ok. C u whnvr.

* * *

Isaac spent the whole day nervous. He didn't really want to go shopping with Lydia. But (as far as he knew) Derek's Alpha senses could still smell his father on him, and that bugged Derek.

After last period ended, Isaac gathered his things for the weekend, and started walking towards the parking lot. He saw Lydia who smiled a slightly frightening smile. Allison and Danny walked up as he did.

Allison said, "Come on. Let's not torture Isaac for any longer than is necessary."

Lydia and Allison rode in Lydia's car, as Danny and Izzy followed in Danny's.

Danny said to Izzy, "Don't worry. They don't bite."

Somehow, that didn't reassure Isaac.

* * *

After they got into the mall, Isaac tried to pick out some clothes himself. Almost immediately, Lydia said, "You are about 70 pounds to light for that shirt and we need to start with short-sleeve shirts."

Danny whispered to her, "Abused children frequently wear oversized clothes and long-sleeves to hide bruises and swelling."

Lydia replied just as quietly, "We are going to give him a new look that shows off his body. Maybe other people would compliment him so that his self-esteem improves."

Danny and Allison looked at each other, with surprised looks. Allison asked, "Are you even going to bother to take into account his tastes?"

Lydia said, "He'll know when he looks good."

Lydia then went off to help Isaac. Allison and Danny quickly followed.

* * *

Isaac walked into the fitting room, arm full of clothes for him to try on. He pulled on a pair of pants and a t-shirt. He looked in the mirror. For a second, he didn't even recognise himself. He walked out to show the others. Lydia raised an eyebrow and said, "Not bad, hot stuff."

Isaac blushed. No one ever described him as hot.

* * *

Slowly, an entire wardrobe was picked out for Isaac. Surprisingly, he actually enjoyed himself. They were about to leave, when something caught Isaac's eye. He asked, "C-can I get that?" He pointed to a black leather jacket.

Lydia looked at it. Before she said anything, Danny cut in and said, "Do you really think you should be mimicking Derek's style?"

Isaac looked crestfallen. Allison stated, "We want you to be you. We don't need another Derek."

Lydia said, "Let's see if you still want it in a year, ok? After you find out who you are."

Isaac mumbled, "Ok."

Danny drove him to Derek's apartment. He put up his clothes, threw out the old ones, changed (at Derek's insistence), and packed a small bag Derek gave him.

He decided to run over to Stiles' house.

He sent a quick text.

From: Isaac To: Stiles

On my wa now bthere ina few

* * *

Scott and Stiles were sitting on the Stilinski's couch. Stiles heard a knock on the door. He jumped up, to let in Isaac.

They ate pizza and played games for several hours.

* * *

It was sometime around 2 am when Stiles and Scott started to fight. Isaac wasn't entirely sure how it started, all he knew was that his pack was crazy.

Scott stated, "Everyone knows Star Trek's way better."

Stiles responded, "Stargate is way better. It is way more plausible that only a few species evolved and terraformed the other planets."

Scott retorted, "But the entire galaxy speaks one language. How exactly did that happen?"

They went back and forth for quite a while.

Stiles asked, "Which Sci-fi series is the best, Isaac?"

Isaac was quiet for a minute, and then said, "Th-though I like both s-series, n-neither can be considered the best. I-I would argue that Doctor Who is the best, simply be-because it has been running since the 60s. It has a sort of sense of humour about everything that happens. It is actually hard to tell how the Doctor will get out of the current mess. It's a fun series that you don't really have to watch from the beginning. I would suggest starting from the beginning of the 2005 series, though."

Stiles and Scott had not realized Isaac had so much in common with them.

Isaac flinched as he realized he had nerded out. His father… would not do anything. Derek didn't care.

Stiles had been pleased with how open Isaac was. But then he got the biggest surprise of all. Isaac smiled for a second, a real smile. It was a truly beautiful thing to behold.

* * *

**I'm not entirely sure what the next chapter will be, or when it will be published. Worst case scenario, probably end of October. I promise I will not abandon this fic, it may just take time to find time to work on the next chapter.**


	14. Burden

**So, maybe I overreacted to the start of college. I won't promise consistency (because that would be a lie), but I think I will be able to handle at least one chapter every two weeks, baring foreseen and unforeseen circumstances, of course. **

**This chapter comes with a warning: someone is going to be in a bad place this chapter, real bad. So, those who are faint of heart may want to skip this chapter. It will only be lightly mentioned and shouldn't affect the plot too much. It is a sort of fluff chapter. It also contains more cussing then I think I used in the rest of the story.**

* * *

Another full moon had past, just as bad as the last. The therapy hadn't helped. Actually, this time was worse. Last time all he got were vague memories of assaulting Danny and Allison. This time, he had hallucinations, terrible hallucinations.

He had still, once again, injured both Danny and Allison. Danny, particularly, had bites that would be hard to explain away if his parents saw.

Danny was the nicest person he had ever met. There wasn't anything mean about him.

It's not like this was the first time he had considered doing this. But before, no matter how bad things got, there was no reason for him to. Yeah, his life sucked, but he was too scared to leave. Now, he was doing it for the others, his Pack.

If he leaves them, no longer would Danny and Allison be stuck holding him down on the full moon. If he leaves, the Pack would no longer have him as dead-weight, holding them back from their true potential.

He stood up on the toilet, put the noose around his neck, and prepared to step off.

* * *

Stiles had a weird feeling, like he forgot something important, almost the same as that time Allison and Scott were being held at arrow point by that Amazon. He raised his hand.

The teacher, Mrs Naile said, "Yes, Stiles?"

Stiles said, producing a lie babble, "May I use the restroom? I really, really need to go. Like I think I may pee my pants soon. I totally shouldn't have drunken those 4 bottles of water before class. Sixteen ounces times…"

Mrs Naile interrupted him and said, "Just go. Now."

He got up and said, "Thanks." He ran to the bathroom. There should be quiet enough for him to focus enough to contact Derek. Too bad his phone was dead. Stupid phone died during first period.

As soon as he walked in, he saw why his wolf alarm was going off. Isaac was hanging from the rafters from a simple noose. Stiles ran up and got him down. He was passed out, but his heart was still beating. Thank God he didn't know how to tie a Hangman's Noose. This was bad, beyond bad. Derek was not going to be happy.

Isaac opened his eyes and found himself in Stiles' arms. He knew he was in trouble.

Stiles, with a tone and look of sadness, asked, "Why?"

Isaac had expected, if he had been caught, to be scolded, told he was useless, or just simply ignored. The look on Stiles' face made him feel worse. Isaac mumbled hoarsely, "I d-didn't w-want to be a b-burden anymore."

Stiles looked at him with a look of fiery resolve. He said, "We are Pack, right?"

Isaac said, "Y-yes. That's wh-why I cared enough to st-stop holding you guys back."

Stiles looked straight at Isaac, and said, " 'Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of its trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse for impossibility, for it thinks all things are lawful for itself and all things are possible,' Thomas Kempis. We are family, meaning no matter what; we will be there for you. You will get better, and then you'll no longer be 'holding us back' (Stiles included air quotes). We like you for you."

Isaac protested weakly, "Wh-what if I don't get better soon enough? Mr Argent is a-almost out of the mixture. If y-you can't hold me down, how are you g-going to keep me under control? I'm better off d-dead, where I won't thr-threaten the entire Pack."

Stiles said sternly, "You will not say those words again. Derek and I have a Plan B for you. We are building a werewolf proof cage, even alpha testing it before the next full moon. It's about 6'x10', which isn't a large space, but is about the size of an average bathroom. I will take care of my family, no matter what. So you will stop this self-hate crap and realize you are an amazing person in your own right. Your father was a fucking lying asshole for telling you that you were useless. Everyone in the pack cares for you."

Then Stiles broke the one big rule for Isaac: he hugged him.

Isaac tensed for a moment, and then relaxed. There was something amazingly comforting about Stiles' hug, almost like the ones Isaac's mother used to give.

Isaac hugged back for a moment, and then let go. He got up and said weakly, "Th-thanks."

Stiles said, "I'm not going to tell a teacher, but I am telling Derek."

Isaac said, dejectedly, "Ok."

Isaac started to walk out of the bathroom, and then turned around and asked, "H-how did y-you kn-know?"

Stiles smiled and said, "Wolfy super power."

Stiles left the bathroom after Isaac and went back to class. Mrs Naile immediately asked, "What took so long, Stiles?"

Stiles started, "I…" and then grabbed a piece of paper and wrote: _I had to talk a friend out of suicide._

Mrs Naile looked at the note, then at Stiles' face. She could see the truth in that statement. Mrs Naile nodded her head and mouthed _who_?

Stiles shook his head in response. _Their secret,_ he mouthed.

* * *

Derek fussed at Isaac as soon as he got in the car. He told Isaac that too many people loved him too much for him just to go off and kill himself, and then told him that no matter what, he was there for him.

* * *

That night, Isaac dreamed about his hallucination.

_He father was standing over him, fist raised. He started hitting Isaac. "Why aren't you more like Camden? He was strong and brave. He was well liked. You are just a stupid, ignorant, useless little fucker. You will never amount to anything. It's no wonder no one likes you. Who would like a dirty little freak like you? You're just like your mother, so pathetic. You will never amount to anything, you pansy ass mother fucker."_

Then, something shifted. It changed from the hallucination.

_Derek stepped in. He grabbed Mr Lahey's hand and said, "You will not lay a hand on that boy again."_

_Mr Lahey responded, "Who are you to tell me how to treat my son?"_

_Derek said, "He is my son now, and you will never touch him again."_

_Stiles walked up and said, "And you, sir, are the pansy ass mother fucker. What kind of asshole hits his own son? You don't even deserve the title 'father'. You are just a sick, twisted man who deserves a fate far worse than prison. You should go so very far away from Beacon Hills, because we will find you, and there will be no body to find."_

_Mr Lahey was starting to get scared._

_Danny walks up and said coolly, "And trust me, a lot of people like Izzy. And you should know that we are probably the most dangerous group on this coast."_

_Jackson walks up and stated, "We are more his family then you ever were."_

_Allison walked up with her bow in hand and said, "Isaac is already more of a man then you will ever be."_

_Lydia entered and said, "You won't even know what hit you if you come near Isaac again."_

_Scott came in and said, "We are Hale Pack. Mess with one of us, you mess with all of us."_

_Then they all shifted. _

Isaac woke up feeling much better. He knew he was taken care of, that he was loved, and that his father was never going to touch him again.

* * *

Somewhere in the California Penal System

Mr Lahey awoke, scared out of his mind.

* * *

**Next up is a real treat, the action is about to rev up. This is the chapter I've been waiting for.**


	15. Wolfnapped

**Another update! This chapter has been bouncing around in my head for a while (at least four chapters), I hope you enjoy this. **

**Ok, so full warning, this chapter might have come from the darker (never Darkest, but pretty close) pits of my imagination. This chapter will be mentioned repeatedly, due to content, so… um… this fic may no longer be for the faint of heart. It will calm down for a while, and the darker aspects will come and go as the plot demands, but this level will not be normal. I'm a little too optimistic **

**Also, someone finally asked the question I've been waiting to answer. Are Boyd and Erica going to be in this story? Erica is, she's going to get her own story arc, not quite as long as Isaac's, but she has a plan attached. Boyd, not so much, he is the flattest character in all of TV. He is so painfully token black that the attempt for diversity comes off as racist.**

* * *

It was a typical Saturday afternoon training session. Allison, Danny, and Isaac were practicing martial arts, while the others were training nearby.

Then it happened. A white gas came from nowhere, no, from all around, very suddenly.

Stiles could feel himself getting sleepy. Even Derek looked like he was being affected, as were Danny and Allison. That was important, for some reason. Stiles couldn't think clearly enough to figure out why. He did do one last thing before the gas took effect: he sent one last text.

To: Dad From: Stiles

SOS

Stiles then promptly passed out.

* * *

When the sheriff received the text, he was worried.

To: Stiles From: Dad

What's up?

He waited 20 minutes for a response. That made him worry even more.

So he called Melissa. She answered, "Hello?"

He replied, "Are any of the kids in the hospital right now?"

Melissa replied, concerned, "No. Why?"

Stan answered, "Stiles sent me SOS as a text. Something's wrong. I'm headed up to Hale House."

He hung up.

* * *

As soon as he got to Hale House, the Sheriff knew everything was wrong. His police instincts were flaring.

First, and most importantly, the kids' cars were there, but the kids weren't.

Second, it was evident that bodies had been dragged to a vehicle. No blood, so they were probably still alive.

Third, there was a residue on the leaves around the house. He rubbed some of it gently between his fingers. He didn't know how, but it felt… supernatural.

That feeling is what made him decide not to call in the department.

He dialled the only number he knew for this situation.

The phone was answered, "Hello, Chris Argent speaking."

The Sheriff said, "Come to Hale House now. The kids have been kidnapped. There is a powdery residue on the ground, and I can't call in the department."

Mr Argent replied, "I'll be there as soon as possible."

* * *

Isaac woke up, chained to the wall, in a foul smelling room, next to Allison and Danny.

He panicked from being contained (he was flashing back to the freezer in the basement) and struggled for a few moments.

He gave up after a fairly short amount of time. He calmed down for long enough to think.

Where were the real werewolves? Why was he with the Gammas?

Then, he heard a noise. It was Derek screaming in pain.

* * *

Derek found himself hanging by chains in a room with Stiles, Lydia, Scott, and Jackson. He was the first to wake up, naturally.

A man in a white cloak walked in. He spat on Derek and said, "Oh, look, the alpha doggie's awake."

Derek growled in response. The man pushed a button and Derek was shocked by a massive current running through his chains.

Derek screamed out. When the pain stopped, he asked, rather sarcastically, "Why don't you just kill us all now?"

The man said, "You demons must pay for your sins."

He then continued torturing Derek.

* * *

As soon as Chris Argent got to Hale House, he knew who it was who had kidnapped his daughter and her friends, based on the residue.

He didn't even get out of the car. He rolled down the window and said, "Get in, Stan, if you want to save them." He had a tone of finality that indicated how bad it was.

The sheriff agreed to mainly because he knew that Chris both had information and weapons.

Chris began driving. He said, "Our children are currently being held by an extremist wing of the KKK."

Stan Stilinski responded, "The extremist wing of a terrorist organization?"

Chris nodded his head gravely. He continued, "Now, where should we look? There are a few places they could set up camp in the warehouse district."

Stan asked, "Why not call in all the Hunters?"

Chris said, "First, I will not ask my men to risk killing humans. I'm not going as a Hunter; I'm going as a Dad. Second, I won't worry my wife until I have to."

* * *

Isaac had to do something. He looked at the chains on his wrists. He thought about how Derek, the man who had taken him in when he had nothing, was being tortured. He thought about Danny, his closest friend and the nicest person in the world. He thought about Scott and Stiles, the two people he could talk about superheroes and sci-fi series with. He thought about Jackson, the person who had given him a chance in this crazy family. He thought about Lydia, the girl who had taken her time to make people notice him. He thought about Allison, the one who taught him martial arts and Archery.

He had to do this for them. He pulled himself up by his wrists, as if on the gymnastic rings. He put his legs behind him, crouching against the wall horizontally. With an inhuman roar, he leapt out from the wall spinning slightly to generate torque.

* * *

Danny was awoken by a roar and a clattering of chains. He hardly had time to recognize that he was, indeed, being held up by chains, before he freaked out. Isaac was wolfed out.

Danny said gently, "Hey, man, Izzy, you need to chill. Everything is ok. Calm down."

Isaac looked up and brown eyes met amber. Danny smiled tentatively and said, "Izzy?"

Isaac said, slightly accented/impaired by his fangs, "Yes." Isaac then climbed up the chain on Danny's left arm, broke it at the wall mount. He repeated it for the other arm. Danny woke Allison up while Isaac broke the chains. Then Isaac ripped their wrist restraints off, then, with some difficulty, removed his own.

Isaac said, "I've got to find the others. Find a way out and get help." Isaac the broke the door down and began running on all fours towards the source of the screaming.

* * *

Stiles was awake for less than 30 seconds before he started talking. "Dude, I don't know who you think you are, and frankly I don't give a damn. Do you know who my father is? He's the Sheriff. He will be here very soon to kick your ass to high heaven."

The man in the white cloak said, taking a brief break from torturing Derek, "Silence, demon! You will be made to pay for your sins when your turn comes. Does your 'father' (air quotes included) know what has possessed his son?"

Stiles answered, "I'M NOT POSSESSED. I'M A FUCKING WEREWOLF. There is a huge difference, you know. And, yes my father knows. But if you caught all of our Pack, my father is the least of your worries."

The Klansman replied, "Who should I be worried about, abomination?"

Stiles smirked and said, "I think that, in your line of work, you are familiar with the name Christopher Argent? You captured his daughter. I highly doubt that there is a force in Heaven or Hell that can stop him now."

The man took a small step back in fear, and then he snarled out, "I knew the Argents were weak, but allowing his daughter to associate with Works of the Devil I never expected. He will be judged, as will your 'father'."

He then pushed a button and electrocuted Stiles.

* * *

At the same moment, every fiber in the Sheriff's body screamed out. His paternal instincts were already on high alert, but this took the cake for everything.

He said, "Stiles is being tortured." The certainty in his voice left no room for argument.

* * *

Isaac was running through some sort of warehouse. They seemed to have made it into a maze. He would find his Pack.

Allison and Danny were struggling to find an exit. They found a door. Allison kicked the door down.

Danny was immediately horrified at the sight he saw. Two boys, both deathly pale, painfully thin, and naked, were hanging from chains. One looked about 8 to 10, the other 3 or 4. They both were scarred and bruised.

Then he noticed the smell in the room. A smell any guy would recognize, along with most girls, sort of like chlorine. He was disgusted at the thought.

The key for the chains was in the room, so Allison unlocked the two children. Allison carried the younger of the two on her back, while Danny carried the older one.

One mark that stood out among the many was a brand on their backs that said, "DEMONSPAWN."

The two Gamma wolves and the two children they were carrying continued to look for an exit. Neither of the boys had yet woken up, but they were still both breathing.

A man in a cultish white cloak turned a corner and saw them. Still carrying the small child, Allison ran at the dude at incapacitated him by head-butting him, kicking him in the groin, and then kicking him straight in the temple. She would have thrown in a few punches, but her hands were busy holding the tortured child up.

* * *

The Sheriff and the Hunter had finally found the warehouse. It was one that had been abandoned for years. Almost as soon as they got there, Allison and Danny came running out. Both fathers saw the children on their backs.

Allison said, "Thank God you're here! Isaac went to rescue the others, but I can still here the torture going on. Go help them, please."

Mr Argent could tell the two boys were human children who had been tortured to within an inch of their life, at the very least. He pooped the trunk and grabbed a multitude of guns. The Sheriff said, "I'm going to pretend I don't see any of those."

Mr Argent responded, "I have licenses for all of them. Now, these scum need to be taken care of."

* * *

Isaac finally found his way to where his pack was being held. He burst in, and snarled at the becloaked figure.

The Klansman said, mainly to a pained Derek, "Did you just bite this one, make another abomination just today? He passed the wolfsbane test."

Isaac said, "No, Me and the wolf had some trouble getting along before, well, just after I woke up. So, I guess I have to thank you for letting me control the wolf."

The Klanman said, "You demons must be purged." He then pulled out a gun and pointed it at Isaac. Isaac ran at the man at speeds that Derek was unsure if he could hit. Isaac knocked the gun out of his hand and then proceeded to knock the man over. He punched the man's face a few times.

The Klansman said smiling manically, "Kill me now, monster."

Chris Argent and Sheriff Stilinski entered the room at that moment.

Isaac said softly, "There is only one monster in this room, and it's not me. What we are not important, it's what we do. The 'demons,' as you so pleasantly described us, have been a whole lot better than most of the 'humans' I have met. So you, demon, will have to live with what you have done."

Chris Argent was surprised, upset, and slightly humoured by the statement. First, he was surprised that he was in wolf form. He was upset that he viewed humans in such a way. Third, Isaac had a lot more spunk then he realized.

The Sheriff was simply impressed by the improvement that had come to Isaac. But now was not the time for that.

Isaac got up off of the man, and moved to release his pack. The Sheriff put handcuffs on the bigoted man.

* * *

**This is the end of what I am dubbing the "Isaac Arc". Isaac really stole the spotlight in my canon. He should (if he lets me) back off a little. I have things I want to do with Derek, and definitely Stiles, and some Scott. And wait 'til we get to the… no, I won't spoil it for you. Plus, some character may take over and leave my intended plot in the dust. Though, apparently Allison has decided to be next up. This ought to be interesting. I have no idea how to write girls.**


	16. Searching

**Ok, so I would like to say that Marion and the Sheriff are still dating, I'm just having trouble figuring out where to put them. There hasn't been much Stiles time, so her part has drifted to beyond the background.**

The two tortured children were in the hospital. They had yet to really wake up. A feeding tube had been put in for both of them. They apparently had only been receiving the bare minimum nutrients to keep them alive for at least a year, the older boy possibly much more.

The Sheriff didn't want to do this, but he couldn't think of any other options. "Hey, Stiles, do you want to help me with some police research?"

The Sheriff knew it was only a day since the kids had been tortured, but he needed help.

Stiles' eyes were wide. "What can I do? You never let me help. I have to force information from you."

The Sheriff replied, laughed and said, "I need help going through the missing persons database. I can't assign another officer to do it, and it is technically open to the public. So, will you help me?"

Stiles' face went cold with fierce determination. "Let's find those kids families if they have any."

The Sheriff replied, "They must have parents somewhere."

Stiles said, "They're kids of werewolves that the Klan caught. Their parents are dead."

The Sheriff shivered. The idea that his son was part of a world where this happened was… terrifying. It finally sunk in how serious a situation he had put his son in. Then again, Stiles was already a part of it.

Stiles said, "I'll call Danny to see if he can help. And Allison seems pretty keen on helping those kids too. Lydia can help figure out all sort of stuff. Scott won't be too much help. Isaac seems shaken by the torture, so no on him. Derek's healing and Jackson's parents are on lock down over bearing mode. Do you have the medical files on them, of all known information?"

The Sheriff said, "Melissa was kind enough to get me a copy."

Stiles called Danny, Allison, and Lydia to see if they could come over and help. They all came.

Several hours later, they had not had much luck. All they knew for sure was that a 3-4 year old, with auburn hair and grey eyes, was missing, along with a raven haired Indian or Pakistani 8-10 year old with brown eyes.

Lydia then said, suddenly, "They're older than they look! They were seriously malnourished, so their growth was minimal, giving them a decreased apparent age."

After another hour, Stiles was fairly sure they had found the right kids. The younger one was Samuel Octavius Woolf, age 5, the youngest of 8, all "missing" presumed dead for over a year. So were his numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins. The West Virginia based Woolf Pack was gone, and this boy was a complete orphan. Unless the Pack did something, he would be a foster child. The older boy, Poornachandra Birendra Kapoor, age 12, was from North Carolina. Most of his family was gone, but he did have a surviving adult cousin in the States.

Stiles reported the information back to his dad. The Sheriff was pleased with what they found. Well, happy they found anything. He was quite upset about what information he did receive.

Allison went home, rather down. That little boy had nowhere to go when he did wake up.

Mr Argent had already heard from the Sheriff about the children, simply because he had wished to be kept in the loop. Those children, human children, had been tortured. He had known that the Klan would kill cubs, but even he wasn't aware of the torturing of the human children. He was disgusted.

The worst that he had heard from the Sheriff was that the leader had said that they were preventing the wolf from coming out by "beating the beast into submission" and "adding extra human in". The last part made him shiver. They were the real monsters, much like Isaac had said.

Mrs Argent, always the most observant person, said, "We need to help the little boy, Samuel."

Chris replied, "What can we do? He could still shift. You know as well as I do some wolves don't shift for the first time until as late as 15."

Victoria responded, "A hunter family, such as ours, could teach him control. And I'm sure Hale would take him into the Pack if he did shift." She paused and continued, "Actually, your point is even more reason for him to be with someone who knows the secret. What if he was in foster care and shifted? He could injure people and not know what was going on."

Chris inquired, "Shouldn't we speak to Allison about this first?"

Allison, answered, after being talked to about the situation, "I would love a little brother."

**Ok, so this chapter probably sucks ass. It was a nice big bitch to write, which is 70% of the reason it took so long. **

**Next up should be some Allison flavoured fluff. I think.**


	17. The Question

_So sorry this took so long. I had really bad writer's block because I wanted to write as Allison. I can't write Chicks, so I gave up and put the pertinent information in this chapter instead of writing a ridiculously fluffy piece. Hope you don't mind. I'm back, and will try to stay on track this time. On that note, is there anyone willing to Beta for me? If some awesome person would assist me, I'd be amazingly grateful. Also, said Beta could kick my butt into actually finishing a chapter. Offer remains standing indefinitely._

* * *

As soon as Marion and Stan ordered their meals for lunch, Marion asked, "Stiles asked if it was ok for him to take Cooper to the park to meet Allison and Sammy. I was fine with it, but a little confused. I thought Allison was an only child?"

Stan replied, "Remember the case that had me so shaken up, the one with the 2 kids?" At Marion's nod, he continued, "Sammy is the younger one. Chandra was sent to live with a distant relative, but Sammy had no family, so the Argents kindly took in the kid."

Marion asked, "Any idea why those two boys were held captive for so long?"

Stan replied, "They were nut jobs. Said something about them being children of demons, needing to purge the world of their kind."

The conversation wandered into safe territory for a while. As lunch was wrapping up, Marion said, "Screw this nervousness. Stan Stilinski, you make me happier than I've been in years. I love you with all my heart and soul. I know this may seem a bit rushed, but will you marry me?"

Stan froze for a moment, and then he pulled out his phone. He called speed dial one, Stiles.

"Hey Stiles, remember what we talked about before, with the 'W' situation? "… "we need to move up the plans. Marion proposed to me." … "Yes, I know very funny. Who's available to do the talk?" … "Have him meet us at my place is 15 minutes." … "Thanks, Stiles. Love you, son. See you later."

Stan paused for a second, "Before I can accept your proposal, We need to have a talk back at my place. Scott's gonna meet us there." As Marion attempted to ask something, the Sheriff replied, "Don't ask. It will be easier to do it all at once." He paid for their meal, and then took Marion to his house. Scott was already there.

The two adults and the teen went in and walked straight to the living room. The Sheriff began, "I don't want you to make a commitment to me unless you know what you are really getting into. Scott, if you would do the honors?"

Scott shifted and said, "Hey Mrs. Cooper. I'm a werewolf."

Marion collapsed into a coach. "Am I to assume Stiles is as well?"

The Sheriff nodded fearfully. The room fell silent for several moments. Marion then said quietly, " 'Your son will be a guardian wolf of the guiding light, shining the way for others to do what's right'. A fortune-teller told me that while I was pregnant. It made no sense, but I knew it to be true. I know his destiny now."

A long silence took place. Marion then asked, "Offer's still on the table."

Stan replied, "Then yes, I would love to be your husband."

* * *

Somewhere in Idaho

"Mom, a decision point's been made. One that will affect everyone," said a five-year-old half-Asian boy with seriousness no five-year-old should ever have.

His mother replied, "What do we need to do, Will?"

Still deathly serious, the boy replied, "We need to move to Beacon Hills, California before the beginning of the next school year." Then, he continued oddly light-heartedly, "If the world doesn't end before then."

The boy's mother sputtered, and regained her composure. "Honey, what is the probability of the world ending before next school year?"

Will replied, as if a weatherman, "40% chance. But you really shouldn't concern yourself with that. It's too late for us to intervene in that apocalypse."

* * *

_So now Marion knows and is joining the family. An apocalypse is on its way, and a family is moving to Beacon Hills next year. This is a short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. I will try to have another up before a week's out._


	18. Discussions with Derek

_Hey, another update here. In other, better news, I now have a Beta, MidnightMoonWarrior, who pretty much doubled the length of this chapter. Fingers crossed for less work on her part next chapter. _

The Pack began to gather at the decrepit Hale House at about quarter to noon on Saturday. The Huntress arrived first, pulling her bow out of her car as soon as she got out. Scott arrived next, running in his furry form. The jerk jock arrived next, bringing with him his boyfriend Danny and a cup of coffee for each of them. Derek pulled up in his Camaro, bringing with him the timid wolf and lunch for the Pack. Lydia arrived at precisely noon, looking as immaculate as ever. Stiles arrived, as usual, five minutes late.

"No practice today," The pack reacted in slight confusion and curiosity, as he never gave them a Saturday off. The Alpha continued, his tone serious despite the arched eyebrows and slight smirks around him "Your finals are in two weeks, so you are being given this time to study. I have your bags inside."

The majority of the pack groaned in sync, but began walking towards the husk of a house. As soon as they entered, Scott claimed the remains of the couch for himself and Allison, Lydia and Stiles took the damaged kitchen table, Jackson and Danny sat on the Pack bed, and Isaac took the corner.

"Can we talk outside for a minute?," Derek requested while facing Lydia.

Lydia nodded, confused as to why they would need to talk, but she followed Derek out the door anyway. After walking a good distance away, as to deter werewolf ears from listening in, he began the conversation.

Derek asked, "What classes are you planning to take next year?"

Lydia responded, while checking her nails, "Lit, US History, Calc, Latin, Psych, and Physics B; all AP level. Oh, and Art 2."

Derek blinked, shocked. "Can you handle that?"

Lydia said, with an air of indifference, "Of course."

Derek asked, intrigued by his smartest Pack member, "Do you think anyone else in the pack could?"

Lydia thought for a moment, interested in the idea the other had had, before replying, "Stiles could, if someone made sure he did his homework and if we don't have a major supernatural disaster. Allison and Danny can handle half as many AP classes as I do and Isaac probably can handle two with support from the Pack. Jackson, maybe one, and Scott can't handle any. I'm not even sure he can handle Honors work and keep his grades up."

The older man took in the information, before saying, "But everyone else inHonorsotherwise."

The She-wolf nodded, a faint sense of pride tinting her words, "No one is dumb in the Pack."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Not even Scott?"

The fiery redhead argued, "He doesn't retain information the way that is crucial for classes, but outside of that he doesn't need to. He knows more about people than any of us could, yet he still trusts people. Scott is not dumb, just experienced in another area. A part of him expects to be betrayed, or hurt by what could happen, but he still trusts people and has faith in them. No matter the risk, he lets them in anyway."

Derek, surprised by the passionate defense, was left momentarily speechless. "Thank you. Go study and send..." He paused, as if trying to choose the right person. "Send me someone other than Isaac."

Lydia sauntered back to the house. After several moments, Danny jogged up with a smile on his face,"What's up, Derek?"

Derek responded sternly, "Danny, I want you to take at least twoAP courses next year, everything else Honors if possible."

The hacker crossed his arms. "No offense, but why are you telling me what classes I should and shouldn't take?"

The Alpha paused, considering the question, before answering it truthfully. "I am partially responsible for you guys and I want all of you to do well. You all have great potential to be more than wolves, but you have to do your best. A couple AP courses would challenge you."

The human Pack member stood silent for a moment, shocked. "You care that much about us?"

Derek smiled slightly."Yes, I do. Go study. Send someone else this way."

Danny walked up to the house at a meandering pace. After a period that was just enough to make Derek antsy, Stiles galloped up. "Making us studying and have private conversations? This is the weirdest Saturday since that time with Fred."

Derek replied, carefully, as if he was struggling to stay calm,"Fred? Nevermind, I don't want to know. You will be taking as many AP classes as possible next year" The older man watched the other about to protest, but he continued, "I know you are smart enough, and as long as you keep a handle on your homework you will be fine."

Stiles argued, flailing his arms around spastically,"But what if the town is besieged by chimeras, or a kanima? If an entire pack of Alphas decides to invade there is no way I can help if I am drowning under homework."

Derek rubbed his forehead. "I've never even heard of a kanima, and a pack of Alphas is completely ridiculous. "You can keep up, you are capable enough for it, and no, you are not getting out of back and send someone new out."

Stiles pouted his way up to the house. Scott came flying out of the house down to talk to Derek.

Derek inquired earnestly, "What do you want to be when you grow up, Scott?"

Scott paused for a moment. "I kinda wanna be a Deputy."

Derek asked, interested, "Why?"

Scott thought for a moment. "I know I'm not smart like the rest of the pack. But, I am good at reading people. I was good at it before this year."

Derek considered the answer for a moment, "You told me why you are a good fit, not why you want to do it."

Scott stood with a typically confused look on his face. Then he said passionately, "I didn't want to fight when the whole thing with Peter started, but I had to get involved. I had the power to try to stop it, so I made an attempt. Mom says that she always needed to help people, ya' know? I feel the same way. I have a duty to help protect Beacon Hills from both sides of the law."

Derek expression was one of pure shock. "That was well thought out. I want you to take regular track this year to keep your grades up. Maybe take Criminal Justice as an elective? Your goal is admirable; you should talk to the Sheriff about it. Now head back and send someone else."

Scott rushed back to the house, to minimize his time apart from Allison.

Isaac came walking quietly after several minutes, looking as nervous as ever. "Wh-what do you need, Derek?"

Derek said calmly, "I just want to talk to you about what kind of classes you think you should take next year."

Isaac said, sounding slightly relieved, "Oh."

Derek asked, maintaining a steady voice, "What would you think about taking AP classes next year?"

Isaac mumbled, looking down at the ground, "I'm not that smart."

The Alpha nearly growled, having the sudden urge to throttle Mr. Lahey within an inch of his life. Instead, Derek took a breath and encouraged the beta."I think you are. Wait, I know you are."

Isaac looked up at Derek with a look of wonder in his eyes. "Y-you th-think I'm intelligent?"

Derek replied matter-of-factly, "Of course. I wouldn't let any idiots into the pack."

Isaac said without thinking, "What about Scott?" After a second, he covered his head and crouched down live he was expecting to be hit.

Derek said with a slight grin, pretending to ignore the flinch, "My uncle had terrible taste."

Isaac laughed quietly and stood up slowly. "H-how many AP cl-classes do you think I should take?"

Derek said carefully, "Lydia said probably two, but I think you can handle three."

Isaac seemed to be standing up a little taller. "I'll take three, Derek." His voice carried an edge of determination.

Derek grinned at Isaac, displaying his pride, "Go back to studying. Please send Jackson next."

Isaac nodded his head before walking back into the house, Jackson replacing the more timid wolf after a few minutes. "What do you need? I was busy not working out."

Derek ordered, "You are taking at least one AP course next semester, and all honors."

Jackson huffed. "Or what? You'll ground me?"

Derek smirked evilly. "I'll tell your parents about everything."

The blond athlete froze, his eyes narrowing as he ground out a response."You wouldn't dare."

The Alpha threatened, "I would and I will."

The jock ground his teeth, "I'll do it."

Derek ordered, "Go back and send Allison."

Jackson muttered, as he walked back, "He's even worse than Stiles with blackmail."

Allison sprinted to him, a slight smile on her face from the conversation she had left. Derek nearly hesitated, before speaking."Allison, I know that I have the least amount of say in your life, and that you will probably not like this one bit, but I would like to ask if you were planning on taking any AP courses next year?"

The Huntress raised an eyebrow."I planned to take two or three. And don't think I don't respect your opinion. I chose to be a part of this pack and I thank you for treating me like everyone else without consideration of what my family does."

Derek seemed to release a breath he was holding. "I thought you were only here because of Scott."

The Brunet shrugged. "Every single one of my friends is in that house. Most of them, I was friends with before I knew about werewolves. I will be here until the very end."

* * *

After three hours of studying and the weekly Pack bonding nap, Danny decided to spend the evening with Jackson. They drove back to Jackson's house at around six. After collecting some snacks from the kitchen, the young couple went straight up to watch TV in bed. After several minutes of distracted conversations, the kind lacrosse player asked nervously, "Jackson?"

"What's up?" Jackson replied, scooting closer to Danny.

"Every night I have these dreams now, so terrifying, so confusing…" Danny replied, voice shaking.

"About what?," Jackson questioned with the barest hint of concern.

Danny responded, voice quivering, "A drop of Scott's blood coming towards us. The past, present, and future show themselves to be separate but connected. And there is this phrase: _Þegar silfur fellur fyrir símtalið á tunglinu, Ragnarøkkr hefst sem Gleipnir brýtur undir eina gildi sterkari en það. Nema Gënim geta iðn aftur ómögulegt band, heimurinn skal ljúka með wolf guð_ that repeats over and over in my head as I see it coming. The Bad Wolf, coming for us, and I don't know why."

Jackson said dismissively, "it was only a dream, don't worry about it'."

The darker skinned of the two shuddered in breathing, before nodding, trying to accept the conclusion. Yet he was unconvinced as he gazed upon his friend, his voice serious despite the fact that it had been waving moments before. "Remember when I said that I had a bad feeling about sophomore year?"

Jackson shrugged "Yeah. I had one too, everyone thought it was going to suck"

Ignoring the lack of focus his friend was displaying for the prospect of another bad feeling, Danny continued "The dream, it's like that, but more intense"

"Don't worry, we'll survive this year too" The fact that the other was wiping away his worries irritated the dreamer, so he said his next words carefully to make sure that he would be taken with as much_ terror_as the dream had given him.

"No. This is going to kill us all."


End file.
